Man shot by Calgary police on Thursday was wielding a sword, ASIRT says

A man shot by Calgary police early Thursday was holding a sword during the confrontation, says the province's police watchdog.

In a release Friday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said the incident began late Wednesday.

At 11:42 p.m, the Calgary Police Service received a 911 call about a man with a sword in a parkade at Varsity Estates Circle N.W. 

ASIRT said officers arrived on scene about seven minutes later and found the man still holding the sword.

The man moved into a mechanical room inside the parkade and barricaded himself inside. Police officers spoke to the man and, after some time, deployed a pepper spray fogger into the mechanical room.

ASIRT said the man eventually left the room, holding a sword, and a confrontation between the man and officers occurred at 1:55 a.m.

"Multiple officers discharged less-lethal baton launchers at the man. One officer discharged his firearm, striking the man and causing him to fall to the ground," ASIRT said in the release.

"A police service dog moved the man away from the sword. Officers and a paramedic then provided first aid to the man, and an ambulance took him to hospital with serious injuries."

Investigators located a sword on scene. There was significant damage to the mechanical room where the man had barricaded himself. Police said an officer was injured but was treated on scene.

The investigation will examine the uses of force, ASIRT said.

ASIRT investigates any time someone is injured or killed due to police actions in Alberta. It also investigates credible claims of police misconduct.