Gun seized in fatal shooting may be relevant to other cases

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) says a gun that was seized after a man died following an encounter with police has been identified as potentially relevant to other investigations.

Last Saturday at about 5:45 a.m., two Edmonton police officers observed a man holding a reciprocating saw underneath a vehicle near 152 Street and 102 Avenue.

ASIRT said when police attempted to talk to the man he dropped the saw and went into the backyard of a residence. “A confrontation between officers and the man took place in the yard, during which it is believed that the man fired several shots at police, and an EPS member deployed a conducted energy weapon (CEW). At some point, the man sustained a single gunshot wound,” an ASIRT news release said on Friday.

Paramedics and the officers attempted to help the man and he was taken to hospital where he died around 12:40 p.m.

The officers involved were not hurt and the evidence suggests they had not fired their weapons, ASIRT said. “A handgun was recovered on scene and was seized as an exhibit. Evidence gathered from the backyard and during the autopsy conducted on July 8 suggest that the man's gunshot wound originated from this seized firearm,” the release says.

Investigators might normally release a photograph of the weapon but are not doing it in this case because the “firearm has been identified as potentially relevant to other open criminal investigations,” said the release.

The investigation is ongoing.

IAN KUCERAK Officers take evidence near 102 Avenue and 152 Street where a man was injured by a gunshot and later died of his injuries on July 3.