Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Friday evening just east of Carstairs, Alta.
Officers from the Calgary Police Service (CPS) as well as RCMP from Airdrie, Didsbury, Olds and Sundre set up a covert tire-deflation device at Highway 2 near Highway 581, and were successful in disabling the vehicle of a suspect who had evaded CPS in Calgary, according to an RCMP release on Saturday.
“A traffic stop was conducted and there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police resulting in no injuries to police or the suspect,” read the statement.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is now investigating.
At approximately 10:45 p.m. on Friday, CPS said officers responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in southwest Calgary, according to a separate release. A man was reported to have damaged the inside of a residence and a vehicle, and caused injury to a cat.
CPS attempted to conduct a traffic stop for the suspect, who was believed to be impaired at the time, but he fled from police in his vehicle.
The Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety (HAWCS) monitored the suspect as he drove north out of Calgary on Highway 2.
When his vehicle was successfully stopped, and after gunfire was exchanged, RCMP said police were able to disengage from the suspect, set up containment, and make verbal contact with him.
He then surrendered to police.
“The RCMP believes in accountability and transparency and in so doing will provide full support to the ASIRT investigators” read the RCMP statement.
“Events like this are difficult for the communities in which they occur, as well as the general public and officers involved.”