Two potential improvised firearms and a modified imitation firearm were located at a scene where a man was fatally shot by Edmonton police last week.
The shooting happened in the area of 95 Street north of 105 Avenue just after 6:45 a.m. Friday. A 55-year-old man was killed in the incident, which the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said began about 15 minutes earlier in front of the Edmonton Police Service headquarters.
In an update Wednesday, ASIRT said the man was sitting at a picnic table on the north side of 103A Avenue at about 6:30 a.m. He was holding what appeared to be a handgun, ASIRT said.
Ten minutes later, EPS officers responded to the area while the man was walking north on 96 Street just north of 103A Avenue. ASIRT said the man turned to face the officers, but continued walking backwards along 96 Street.
“The man was carrying what appeared to be a firearm with an extended barrel,” ASIRT said.
The man continued walking backwards away from the officers. He then turned east on the walking path between the Bissell Centre and the LRT tunnel. At that time, additional EPS officers were called to the area.
ASIRT said officers spoke to the man to attempt to de-escalate the situation. Police used a conducted energy weapon (commonly referred to as a Taser) twice on the man. ASIRT said the man continued to back away from the officers while holding the object.
At 6:47 a.m., ASIRT said a confrontation occurred at the northeast corner of the intersection of 95 Street and the surface LRT tracks at 105 Avenue. Four officers fired their weapons, striking the man, according to ASIRT.
EPS officers performed first aid before EMS arrived and took the man to hospital. He died of his injuries about an hour later, ASIRT said.
Two “potential improvised firearms” and a modified imitation firearm were located at the scene, ASIRT said Wednesday.
No further information was released by ASIRT, which will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the use of force by EPS members.
Friday’s shooting occurred just one day after EPS members spoke about an increase in gun violence in the city. During that unrelated media availability last Thursday, Supt. Shane Perka with the EPS criminal investigations division said officers are not only seeing an increase in the number of firearms on city streets, they’re also seeing an increase in imitation firearms.
“We’re seizing them at an increasing rate out on the street,” Perka said. “They are so lifelike that we could put a table down in front of us right now and lay 10 guns out and three of them are imitation or three of them are real — none of us would be able to look at that and say which one is which.”
Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart, who oversees the firearms investigations unit and gang suppression team, added that police are also seeing people converting imitation firearms into real firearms.
“That is occurring, and that’s across the country and into the U.S.,” Stewart said.
ASIRT is asking anyone who may have witnessed Friday’s shooting or any aspect of the confrontation between the man and police to contact investigators at 780-644-1483.