‘No neighbourhood is safe anymore’

Police officer kills impaired driving suspect during stop

An Edmonton police officer shot a man dead while responding to a report of an impaired driver in the southwest neighbourhood of Hodgson, police told a news conference Thursday.

Deputy chief Kevin Brezinski said police received two calls about a driver believed to be impaired. Both the suspect and the officer got out of their vehicles. The officer has been put on administrative leave while the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigates.

Emergency crews tried to save the man’s life, but he died on scene. The man is believed to be from Edmonton with a family, police said.

Brezinski said the officer was a six-year veteran in the police service.

“The police officer involved most recently completed his gun qualifications, his training in April of 2016,” he said.

City police converged on the southwest Edmonton neighbourhood after the officer called for backup around 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

A police command post was set up near a home on Hollands Way.

The incident apparently happened either in or near a cul-desac. A walkway that goes from 23 Avenue to Hollands Landing was blocked off with police tape and police cars Thursday afternoon.

Alison Krause, who lives on the next block, came home around 3 p.m. and said there were about 20 police cars blocking the area in and around her street. She took a photo of the scene with her cellphone that shows a body covered with a sheet.

“It’s scary,” she said. “You think you live in a safe neighbourhood. No neighbourhood is safe anymore.”

Neighbours returning home were screened by police and either allowed to pass one-by-one or turned away.

Paul Plakas, who was out walking his dog, said when he returned home, all the streets around the cul-de-sac were blocked off with police cars and officers.

He said it is a “boring” neighbourhood that is very quiet and everyone knows their neighbours. He said he hasn’t seen any criminal activity lately.

ASIRT investigates cases where police have seriously injured or killed someone.