Many Edmontonians woke up Tuesday morning to discover a tragedy had unfolded while they slept: two police officers had been shot, one fatally in the line of duty.
"This is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions," said Knecht. "It is a police chief's, it is a police officer's worst nightmare."
Const. Daniel Woodall and Sgt. Jason Harley were shot while attempting to serve a warrant for a harassment complaint at a west Edmonton home.
Chief Knecht said that there was no believed threat when the officers attended the residence, but added that while it was not an ambush; the suspect knew police were at the door.
Sgt. Jason Harley, who was shot in the lower back as he entered the home, was taken to hospital in stable condition and released shortly after. The body armour Harley was wearing is credited with saving his life.
Const. Woodall was shot multiple times and died of his injuries at the scene.
Police Chief Knecht says members on the scene were pinned down by bullets for 10 minutes, unable to move and "very, very" close to death.
At a news conference Monday morning, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said investigators had found a body inside the basement of the burned-out home - they believed the body to be that of 42-year-old Norman Walter Raddatz.
Raddatz was well known to police and had a lengthy hate crimes file that lead to the warrant, according to Knecht.
Officials with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said they had been called in to investigate circumstances of the person found dead in the home. ASIRT was investigating because the body was found inside a residence that had been contained by police, and is considered an in-custody death.
ASIRT said the investigation was in the early stages, but it was expected the investigation would be complicated by the fire which caused extensive damage to the home.
Officials said Tuesday afternoon that the identity of the deceased had not yet been confirmed, and it wasn’t clear if the identity would be confirmed without an autopsy. At last word, the autopsy had not yet been scheduled.
ASIRT said Edmonton Police are still investigating the shooting that left Woodall dead and injured Harley.
Neighbours told CTV News the owner of the home was a divorced man in his 40s. They say the man had children but lived alone, and occasionally ran into "problems" with the city over mowing his lawn and shovelling his sidewalk.
The man was also known to have weapons, and once went to a shooting range with a neighbour.
Following the update by Knecht, a visibly shaken Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson shared his condolences for Woodall's family and was nearly brought to tears as he spoke about the thought of the Constable's two children having to grow up without a father.
Remembering Const. Woodall
Woodall, 35, a married father of two, served with the EPS for nearly eight years, working mostly in the SW division, but most recently in the Edmonton police Hate Crimes unit. He and his wife previously lived in the U.K., where he served with the Greater Manchester Police.
Prayers and condolences have been pouring in from across the country and around the world, sparking an organic campaign asking people to turn their porch lights on in honour of Woodall's death.
Like every Edmontonian, I am heartbroken to hear of Cst. Woodall's death. Our thoughts are with his family & colleagues tonight. #EPSstrong
— Don Iveson (@doniveson) June 9, 2015
A social media hashtag #EPSstrong has also been making waves as people find a way to cope with the shooting.
Woodall's wife, Clare, has also taken to social media to thank all those who've honoured her husband's sacrifice:
Your generous outpouring of love for myself and my boys fills my heart.. He is my hero,our boys'hero &Edmonton's newest hero. #EPSstrong
— Claire (@NumberGenie) June 9, 2015
It has been 25 years since the last time an Edmonton police officer was killed on duty - Const. Ezio Farone was fatally shot responding to a failed bank robbery in 1990.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the death of the potential suspect in this incident.