Mountie in Alberta fires gun after finding suspect at scene asleep in truck

ECKVILLE, Alta. — Police in central Alberta say a suspect was injured after an officer discovered him asleep in a truck and fired a gun while waiting for backup to arrive.

RCMP say in a news release that the officer was responding to a report on Saturday morning about a possible stolen battery from an oil field site in Eckville, west of Red Deer.

RCMP say the officer found a male sleeping in a truck, and a sledgehammer and a large canister of bear spray was spotted on the front seat.

Police say the officer laid out a spike belt and waited for backup to get to the scene, but there was a confrontation that resulted in the officer firing his gun.

The suspect was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the officer wasn’t hurt.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the province’s police oversight unit, is now handling the investigation.

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