Man shot dead in standoff with police

Calgary police shot and killed a man early Sunday after atwo-hour standoff in the southwest community of Southwood, the third fatal shooting by city police in the last nine months.

Police responded to a complaintat about 12:50 a.m. in the 500 block of Sabrina Road S.W. that a manwith a sawed-off shotgun was holding hostagehis 19-year-old neighbour.

The area was cordoned off and at some point,the man in a home was shot by an officer, police said.

No officers were injured but the man, whose identity has not been disclosed,was taken to hospital where he died, police said.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the government body that investigates such incidents,has been assigned toexamine the actions of the officers involved in the incident, police said.

"It's still very early in the investigation," said ASIRT's Cliff Purvis, whoexpects to release more informationMonday.

Calgary Police Service Chief Rick Hanson said in a news conference Sunday afternoonthe officer who fired the fatal shots is a member of the tactical team with about 20 years experience.

In March, Calgary police shot and killed Travis Oakesas he tried to ram his way out of a city car wash in a stolen vehicle.

LastSeptember, police shot and killedWalid Mohamed Maragan, who had earlier stabbed his wife to death in their apartment, and refusedofficer commands to put down a butcher knife.