A man was taken to hospital on Friday after being shot during a confrontation with an RCMP officer during an early morning incident in west of Red Deer in central Alberta.
According to the RCMP, officers were called around 5:30 a.m. to the scene of a single-vehicle collision on Highway 596 at Range Road 10, located between Red Deer and Sylvan Lake.
While police were investigating, they found another vehicle in the ditch with three men inside.
When an officer stopped to ask if they needed help, a physical fight happened and the Mountie fired their gun.
RCMP said the three men ended up stealing the police vehicle and drove away, before abandoning it north of the initial scene in a field near Highway 11.
More officers from Sylvan Lake and Red Deer were called in to help, along with air support, the emergency response team and the K9 dog team.
The three men were eventually arrested and officers determined one had suffered non-life-threatening injuries “as a result of the confrontation.”
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has taken over the investigation into the shooting and the director of law enforcement was also notified, RCMP said.
The RCMP will continue its investigation into what led to the fight with police and the mens’ actions.