Police in Regina have asked the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) to investigate what police are calling a “serious incident” on Sunday.
According to a release, the incident occurred in the 1100 block of Garry Street and involved the Regina Police Services (RPS) special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team.
Neighbourhood resident Tyra Gray said she was coming home from the store when she noticed an increased police presence on her block. A police officer approached Gray and informed her that she was going to be “in the line of fire” and was asked to move.
“Shortly after, they ended up shooting at the house while there’s a bunch of us on the road,” Gray told Global News. “Then SWAT went inside, (dragged) some guy out and laid him on the ground.”
Garry Street is in the Rosemont neighbourhood. Gray has been a Rosemont resident for about a month now and described the area as a nice and quiet place.
Doug Turnbull, who lives on the Garry Street block, said he heard shots, which he initially mistook for a vehicle backfiring.
Turnbull later saw a SWAT vehicle on a lawn, he told The Canadian Press, and a body on the street covered with a blanket.
On Tuesday, SIRT released a statement regarding what it is calling “an officer-involved shooting” investigation.
“During the preceding days, RPS received reports regarding an individual residing on the 1100 Block of Garry St. damaging neighboring property and commenced an investigation,” the statement read.
“On May 18, RPS members attended to the location of the report but did not encounter the subject of the complaint, a 65-year-old man. On May 19, RPS again received a report regarding the man and at approximately 1:07 p.m., arrived at the location.”
SIRT said the RPS SWAT team was engaged and attended to the location. A confrontation occurred outside the residence between a 65-year-old man and RPS officers.
“During these events, a marked RPS patrol vehicle was struck by several gunshots, and two RPS members discharged their service firearms, striking the man,” SIRT said in the statement. “RPS Tactical EMS was staged nearby and immediately following the incident relocated to the scene to provide care for the man. The man was assessed by EMS and was subsequently declared deceased on scene.”
SIRT was deployed to Regina to begin its investigation. As the investigation progressed, a loaded non-police handgun and several spent cartridges were recovered from the scene of the incident.
SIRT continues to investigate.
— with files from The Canadian Press