By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

rural crime

ASIRT investigating police shooting incident in Eckville

Apr 6, 2019 | 7:40 PM

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has taken over the investigation into an incident Saturday morning in Eckville.

ASIRT is now saying that an RCMP officer had responded around 8:15 to the reported location of stolen oilfield property at the rear of a strip of businesses on the town’s north side.

Mounties described the stolen property as a battery.

According to ASIRT, police arrived to find a male suspect asleep in a truck — one of four found at the location. In the truck containing the suspect, officers observed a sledgehammer and large canister of bear spray on the front seat, police say.

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The member checked the licence plate number which came back as registered to a different vehicle. The officer then laid a spike belt out and waited for backup, but a confrontation ensued between the suspect and the member.

The member then discharged their pistol.

The suspect was taken to hospital with a single serious gunshot wound that was non-life-threatening. The member was not hurt.

The Ford F250 in which the suspect was sleeping was determined to have been stolen around five days prior from Saskatoon, and the licence plate was also stolen.

ASIRT isn’t saying anything further as the investigation is ongoing.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigates incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.