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Man killed in officer-involved shooting in southeast Edmonton, ASIRT investigating

Click to play video: 'Boxing Day Shooting'
Boxing Day Shooting
WATCH: Residents at an apartment in southeast Edmonton say they heard what sounded like gunshots or fireworks. Officers with guns drawn, surrounded a truck. Sarah Kraus reports from the scene – Dec 26, 2018

A man is dead following an officer-involved shooting in southeast Edmonton Wednesday.

Officers were conducting surveillance on a vehicle that police believed was carrying a man wanted on warrants at about 2 p.m. Police also believed the man to be armed and dangerous.

The truck was stopped with the help of the tactical unit at 79 Avenue and 71 Street, Edmonton police said.

Several police vehicles and other emergency crews as well as police tape could be seen at the entrance to an apartment building in that area just after 3 p.m.

Officers said two of the vehicle’s occupants got out without incident, but the man with outstanding warrants wouldn’t exit the truck.

“An incident took place between the suspect male and responding officers,” Edmonton police said in a release.

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“Officers subsequently discharged their service weapons and struck the 34-year-old male.”

EMS treated the man on scene and took the man to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Neither responding officers nor the truck’s other occupants were injured in the incident, police said.

A number of residents told Global News they heard what sounded like gunshots.

Jody Day, who lives in one of the apartments in the complex, said Wednesday night he wasn’t allowed back in his unit as a bullet had gone through a wall of the home.

Day said the bullet was lodged in the wall of his three-year-old daughter’s bedroom. A photo sent to Global News from Day showed a large hole in the wall right beside a headboard of a bed.

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Officers did not tell him when he and his family would be allowed back inside as his daughter’s bedroom has become part of the investigation.

WATCH: Emergency crews responded to a southeast Edmonton apartment complex. Residents reported hearing what sounded like gunshots. Video supplied by: Lillian Palsky.

Click to play video: 'Police respond to southeast Edmonton after reports of shots'
Police respond to southeast Edmonton after reports of shots

Lillian Palsky was dropping off a Skip the Dishes order at the apartment next door when she noticed the red truck was being blocked by police vehicles.

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“When the customer came to get their food, we both turned around and realized that this truck had gotten cut off by a police vehicle in front and behind. They were out and they had their guns out and they were telling the guy, yelling out: ‘Get out of the truck, get your hands where we can see you!’ and we were like, ‘What is happening?'”

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“I did see an older gentleman come out and he had his hands up and then more police officers showed up,” Palsky said. “There was a black truck that kind of blocked my view so I couldn’t see the older gentleman anymore.”

Though she couldn’t identify the weapons they were carrying, she then described “guys wearing army gear” who circled around and pointed their guns towards the suspect.

“There was a female who was blocked off and she had her arms against her back and she was pushed up against a truck,” Palsky said.

“Some shouting happened and all of a sudden a shot was fired and I didn’t think it was real.

“And she screamed out, ‘No!’ and starts crying and then a ton of shots started going off, I couldn’t tell you how many.

“I remember just thinking: ‘I’ve got to get to safety. I don’t know if there’s firing back or not and I’m just in this glass lobby’… Luckily there was somebody inside the apartment building and he opened the doors… He let me in and we both hid.”

Evidence from the shooting near 79 Avenue and 71 Street seen on Dec. 27, 2018. Charles Taylor, Global News

A man was seen being loaded into an ambulance and at least one person appeared to be taken into police custody.

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After about 20 minutes, Palsky said an officer told her it was safe to leave and so she drove away.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has taken over the investigation.

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WATCH: Residents at an apartment in southeast Edmonton say they heard what sounded like gunshots or fireworks. Officers with guns drawn, surrounded a truck. Sarah Kraus reports from the scene.

Click to play video: 'Major police presence at south Edmonton condo building'
Major police presence at south Edmonton condo building

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