Man dead, Mountie injured in shootout

C, Alta • A man is dead and an RCMP officer has been wounded after a shooting at a home in central Alberta ended in a police chase and a shootout on a highway south of Edmonton.

RCMP say officers responded about 8 a. m. to a firearms complaint at a home in Blackfalds, near Red Deer.

They say shots were fired from the home toward RCMP vehicles, and a woman who was in the area was shot and taken to hospital with serious injuries.

RCMP say a man fled in a car north on the QE-II highway. Police used a tire-deflation device, there was a brief pursuit and the car crossed the median and drove the wrong way into traffic. When it came to a stop, police say there was a confrontation that led to the death of the 27-year-old driver and serious injury to an officer.

Chad Cammock was driving south on the QE-II when he saw a police vehicle following the black car on Wednesday.

“I noticed he’s on his rims — this has gotta be a cop chase,” he told The Canadian Press. He said police vehicles surrounded the car and officers pulled their guns. “I hear pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” he said. “I thought, ‘ holy smokes, they’re shooting.’”

Cammock said it happened quickly, and he started recording on his phone after the shooting stopped.

“It literally happened in about five seconds,” he said. “There had to be 30 to 40 rounds. I don’t know how many were cops’, because obviously that guy started shooting.”

Cammock said he saw police pull a man out of the car, and an officer appeared to be injured. “The cop that pulled up and bumped into the car, you could tell he was injured,” he said. “He was on his knees in that video and bent over. The cops were coming to him. He was hit.

“You could see by his cruiser, there was a little bit of blood pooled up there where he got shot.”

Cammock said the officer was able to get up and walk with others to another spot.

Steve Hutchison was alerted to the scene in his south Leduc home by the police helicopter circling above around 9: 30 a. m. He went outside his home that backs onto the highway and saw what looked like a traffic stop with two to three police cruisers flashing their lights to pull over a vehicle, Hutchison said. So he went back inside.

“As soon as I stepped in the door, I started hearing gunshots. About six in a row,” he said. “I went right back outside and saw two officers with their guns drawn standing over somebody.”

Hutchison said he didn’t hear any more gunshots after the initial exchange and one of the police officers dropped down to perform CPR.

The Town of Blackfalds took to social media early Wednesday morning warning about police activity in the area and asking residents to lock doors and stay in the basement. Just after 10 a. m. RCMP tweeted there was no longer a threat to the public.

Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating.