A man wanted by Edmonton police died after being shot by officers in the southeast Edmonton neighbourhood of Gold Bar late Wednesday night.
The incident started hours earlier, when police were called to a home near 47 Street and 101A Avenue.
Police said it was reported that a 28-year-old woman had been assaulted inside the home over several days by a 26-year-old man. They knew each other, according to police.
Police said they arrived at the residence around 2:30 p.m. and found the woman suffering from injuries. Police said the man was not there and no one knew where he was, so five arrest warrants were requested: two for assault causing bodily harm, plus unlawful confinement, intimidation and uttering threats.
Shortly after 9 p.m., police were told the man had returned and broken into the home.
Officers, including a canine team, surrounded the home. Police said a short time later, the 26-year-old man came outside and confronted officers.
“Officers subsequently discharged their service weapons and struck the male,” a news release from EPS early Thursday morning said.
Police said officers performed first aid until EMS arrived, but the man died on scene.
Global News has learned the man who was killed is Devlin Kyle Neyando. According to his Facebook account, Neyando is from Fort McPherson, N.W.T but was living in Edmonton.
View photos of Neyando in the gallery below:
WATCH BELOW: For the second time in a week, Edmonton police have shot and killed a suspect. According to investigators, Wednesday’s happened following a series of assaults over days. Fletcher Kent reports.
Lucy Thirlwell lives in the area. She said she was inside making dinner when she heard a “loud series of pops or bangs” at around 9:30 p.m. or 9:45 p.m. She went outside to see what was going on.
“We saw a whole bunch of cops running in and out of a unit,” Thirlwell said Thursday morning. “More cops showed up and an ambulance and this whole area got cordoned off.
“There was quite a lot going on.”
She said she’s seen police in the area before, but doesn’t know the people who live in the unit.
WATCH BELOW: A look at the scene on Wednesday night, when there was a large police presence in the Gold Bar neighbourhood
No EPS officers were injured in the shooting. The identity of the man killed is not known.
READ MORE: Evidence suggests man killed by Edmonton officers on Boxing Day had fired his gun
A major police presence, including eight police cruisers and an ambulance, could be seen in an alley in the Gold Bar area, which was taped off.
A vehicle in the alley was also taped off, as well as part of the nearby Rivervalley Townhomes apartment building.
A body could be seen covered by a tarp.
A witness who said he works in a strip mall beside the alley told Global News he heard a gunshot just before 10 p.m.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) police watchdog is leading the investigation. ASIRT investigates incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
Second police shooting in a week
It’s the second time in a week that police have shot and killed a suspect. On Boxing Day, a man was shot by police in an apartment building parking lot at 71 Street and 79 Avenue.
READ MORE: East Edmonton condo residents say Boxing Day police shooting was like a ‘war movie’
The 34-year-old man, whose girlfriend identified him as Buck Evans, had outstanding warrants and was believed to be armed and dangerous, according to ASIRT.
READ MORE: Girlfriend of man fatally shot by Edmonton police speaks: ‘We were surrounded’
Head of police union speaks out about recent string of police shootings in Western Canada
On Thursday, the president of the Edmonton Police Association told Global News the officers involved in Wednesday night’s shooting in Alberta’s capital were not physically injured in the incident but “we don’t know emotionally how the members are going to react.”
“I said, ‘It’s OK if you feel any abnormalities because it could be 48 hours, 72 hours, it could be a month, it could be six months — we don’t know how it will affect you mentally…’ I just reiterated to the members, ‘If you have trouble sleeping, mood swings, it’s quite normal… that’s a normal reaction to a stressful event, but please reach out to us or Employee Family Assistance (an Edmonton Police Service program that confidentially provides officers with access to counselling) or help to get you through that.'”
Elliott said the fact there have been a number of officer-involved shootings in Western Canada over the past few weeks weighs heavily on his mind.
READ MORE: Man dead in Saskatoon police shooting
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Watch below: (From September 2018) Hundreds of firefighters gathered Saturday for the funeral of Marc Renaud, 29, who died by suicide last weekend. The fire chief spoke openly about mental health and post traumatic stress. Julia Wong reports.
Elliott said officers are trained on how to avoid using lethal force and that the training is ongoing throughout their careers in law enforcement. He said officers are trained in a concept called “shielding distance” for when they encounter someone who has a lethal weapon on them, which refers to finding a way to create physical separation to buy officers time to de-escalate situations.
“We are trained on a wide variety of options and… our best weapons are your mouth and your ears. We want to listen, we want to talk and talk and talk and wait to try and de-escalate a situation,” Elliott added.
Elliott said the mental impact of traumatic events like an officer-involved shooting is difficult to predict.
“You could come across an event that just puts you over the edge which can cause you to have that breakdown… I know a lot of people think of post-traumatic stress disorder — PTSD — that’s not necessarily always the case because some members can have anxiety, depression, ulcers, stomach issues, sleeping issues.”
–With files from Global News’ Sarah Kraus
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