Man dead after armed confrontation with Saskatoon police

  A 27-year-old man is dead after an armed confrontation with Saskatoon police Thursday morning leading to an investigation by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT).

Around 10:40 a.m., officers responded to a report about an armed person in the area of Avenue V South and 20th Street West, a Saskatoon police news release says.

“Upon arrival to the area, officers located the suspect on the 200 block of Avenue S South, following a confrontation with police, officers discharged their service-issued firearms,” police said.

The 27-year-old suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, according to police. 

(Chad Hills/CTV News)

Loretta Desmeules’s Thursday morning coffee with a friend, at her home on 20th Street West, was interrupted by the sound of gunshots.

“All of a sudden we heard, ‘bang bang bang.’ I looked at her, and I said, ‘What the hell was that?’ Desmeules told CTV News.

“I said, ‘S**t, that sounded pretty damn close.”

Desmeules looked out the window and saw police cars flying by – heading to the scene, just blocks from her home.

“It was fast, not even five seconds later,” she said.

Desmeules said she immediately worried for her kids, who were upstairs.

More than 10 police vehicles arrived on the scene. Police tape blocked the area.

Investigators on the scene could be seen asking homeowners for possible security camera footage.

The Saskatoon Public School Division said students and staff at Montgomery School, located about three kilometres from the scene, “remained indoors until police confirmed the location of the incident and that there was no safety risk.”

—With files from Laura Woodward