The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate a fatal officer-involved shooting near a central Edmonton LRT crossing Friday morning.
The shooting happened in the area of 95 Street north of 105 Avenue.
The Edmonton Police Service said at about 6:30 a.m., officers saw a suspect in the area of 103A Avenue and 96 Street with what appeared to be a firearm in his hands.
Tactical and canine officers were called in to contain the area for public safety, as police maintained visual contact with the suspect.
Police said the suspect fled and headed toward the LRT tracks along 95 Street and 105 Avenue. A confrontation occurred and police fired their weapons, the EPS said in a news release early Friday afternoon.
The suspect was treated on scene and taken to hospital where he died of his injuries later Friday morning, police said.
Several police vehicles could be seen parked in the area, as well as driving alongside the tracks Friday morning. A large area was cordoned off by police tape.
Global News spoke with a couple of people in the area who said they woke up to what sounded like gunshots before 7 a.m.
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Sarah Hewes lives in a building about a block away from the police scene. She said she was asleep when she heard what she described as fast gunshots.
“It woke me up and then I looked outside and saw that the trains were blocked off and there was tape everywhere and cops everywhere.”
Hewes has lived in the building for about six months, but said she’s not overly surprised by the violence in the area.
“In this area it’s not really so much a shock,” she said. “It’s still kind of scary, definitely.”
The Edmonton Transit Service tweeted just before 8 a.m. that trains were not operating through Churchill Station due to an unexpected incident. Buses were brought in to replace trains between stations, according to ETS.
In an update around 3:30 p.m., ETS said full service on the Capital Line had resumed and bus replacement service was cancelled.
Friday’s shooting is one of several officer-involved shootings to happen in Edmonton so far this year.
The night of Saturday, March 12, a man wanted on more than two dozen outstanding warrants was shot by police in the area of 109 Street and 53 Avenue. The 39-year-old man died of his injuries.
On Feb. 24, an armed robbery suspect died after being shot by police in the area of 113 Street and 104 Avenue. ASIRT later said an imitation firearm was recovered from the scene. During this confrontation, a second man — who inside a nearby apartment suite and not involved in the incident — was struck by a stray bullet and died.
Friday’s shooting also comes just one day after the EPS spoke about an increase in gun violence in the city.
Between Jan. 1 and March 23 of this year, there have been 29 shootings in Edmonton.
Police also said they’re seizing more guns from Edmonton streets.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact ASIRT investigators at 780-644-1483.
The EPS said no officers were injured during the incident.
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