EDMONTON -- The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has confirmed it is investigating the apparent suicide of a 19-year-old man who allegedly struck an Edmonton Police Service officer with a stolen vehicle early Thursday.
While assisting with moving an oversized load on Whitemud Drive, an Edmonton police officer was struck by a white Hyundai driven by the 19-year-old man, said an ASIRT news release.
The Hyundai continued eastbound and was pursued by a witness who had also been helping the oversized load, ASIRT said.
An EPS cruiser attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the Hyundai lost control and came to a stop in a ditch on 17 Street, just north of Ellerslie Road.
The 19-year-old man exited the Hyundai with a firearm. According to ASIRT, the man ignored EPS commands to drop his weapon and instead shot himself once.
He was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The gun, a loaded sawed-off 9-mm carbine, was recovered from the scene, said ASIRT. Additional ammunition was found in the vehicle he had been driving.
It was later determined that that white Hyundai was stolen.
A second person was in the vehicle with the 19-year-old, but was uninjured.
The police watchdog does not believe any weapons were fired by EPS members.
ASIRT is called in to investigate incidents involving Alberta police officers that result in in serious injury or death.
