While responding to reports of a battery theft, an RCMP officer shot a suspect west of Red Deer on Saturday, police said.
A lone Mountie arrived at an Eckville, Alta., oil field site at 54 Avenue after reports of a stolen battery at about 8:15 a.m., where he found a male suspect asleep in a Ford F-250 truck.
RCMP could not confirm if this was the suspect wanted in the theft case or an unrelated incident.
The officer could see a sledgehammer and a large canister of bear spray on the truck’s front seat, and put down a spike belt while awaiting backup.
A confrontation occurred between the man and the officer, ending when the member fired his gun, RCMP said.
EMS took the man to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The officer was uninjured and RCMP said there was no concern for public safety.
RCMP said Monday that both the truck and licence plate were stolen, and confirmed that the Ford was stolen from Saskatoon.
Because it was an officer-involved shooting, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is conducting the investigation.