Man dies after being shot by police in hours-long saga that started at Calgary gym - Action News
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Man dies after being shot by police in hours-long saga that started at Calgary gym

A man has died after being shot by police at the end of an hours-long saga that started when he got into an altercation at a Calgary gym, then drove dangerously through traffic and holed up in a house for hours, the force says.

Incident began at 10 p.m. Thursday and culminated in police using deadly force at 3:45 a.m. Friday

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating a police-involved shooting in Redstone in northeast Calgary early Friday morning that fatally injured a man. (Helen Pike/CBC)

A man who was critically injured in an officer-involved shooting early Friday morning in Calgary's Redstone neighbourhood has died, police say.

Police were called to a gym in the 2600 block of Country Hills Boulevard N.E. at 10 p.m. aftera report that at a man who had been in an altercation wascircling the building in his vehicle and staff were concerned for their safety.

"Officers followed the man from a distance as he drove dangerously throughout Redstone and Skyview, placing the public at risk before stopping at his residence in Redstone," police said in a release.

The man then went inside his home and seemed to calm down, but herefused to surrender. Believing he could be having a mental health crisis, and thatforcing an arrest could lead to a violent confrontation, police decided to disengage for the night. The man's car was towed away to prevent him from leaving again.

Police left the residence at 2:20 a.m., but officers were later called back to investigate a complaint about loud music coming fromthe house.

The incident happened at Redstone Drive and Redstone Street N.E. (Helen Pike/CBC)

Police say officers patrolling the area foundthe man near the intersection of Redstone Drive and Redstone Street N.E. at about 3:45 a.m.

"The situation escalated and officers deployed less-lethal ARWEN rounds and fired a service pistol at the man," police said.

Police also said knives were recovered at the scene.

The man was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition where he later died.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is now investigating and the Calgary Police Service said it will not be releasing any further information.

The two officers involved have been with theforce for six and eight years.

They were not injured, and are on30-day administrative leaves, which isstandard practice when lethal force is used.

Police said the incident was the first time the ARWENless-lethal launcher has been used by a front-line officer since the weapons were added to their arsenal this summer. Thelaunchers have been used by CPS tactical teams since 2008.

The incident culminated at about 3:45 a.m. in the far northeast Calgary community of Redstone. (Helen Pike/CBC)

Sukanya Sarkar, who has lived in the district for four years, says she didn't realize anything unusual had happened until she woke up at 5 a.m.

"This morning I just saw so many police cars in front of my house," she said. "I'm a little nervous right now because I live with my child here."