The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating an officer-involved shooting involving the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).
An EPS spokesperson confirmed to Global News that the ASIRT investigation was related to a heavy police presence in west Edmonton on Friday.
At around 2:30 p.m., police were called to a report of a residential break-and-enter in the area of 171 Street and 83 Avenue.
Police said a 37-year-old man was barricaded inside the home.
Members of the EPS tactical unit were called in to help secure the home. Several marked and unmarked police vehicles were in the area. Officers could be seen walking around the area carrying guns.
At around 6:15 p.m., a confrontation occurred between the suspect and officers outside the house. Police said officers fired their weapons, hitting the man.
The man was taken to hospital where he remained in serious condition Friday night.
No police officers or residents were injured in the incident.
At 9:30 p.m., a police presence remained in the area, although it was smaller than earlier in the day.
ASIRT has taken over the investigation.
On Saturday, some people who were in the neighbourhood where the shooting occurred described Friday’s situation as tense.
Brent Smith’s son lives two doors down from the house where the incident occurred. He said he was helping his son with some landscaping when the situation unfolded and police told area residents to “get into your homes, take shelter and don’t come out.”
Smith said it wasn’t until 9 p.m. that he was able to go home and that police were using his son’s yard to access the house during the ordeal.
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