RCMP shot and killed an Okotoks man early Sunday morning following a tense standoff. Neighbours identify the victim as Corey Lewis, the husband of Okotoks town councillor, Naydene Lewis.
At about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, RCMP received a complaint of an assault involving a teenaged boy.
When officers arrived at the home, Corey Lewis came to the door.
"He came to the door with a shotgun and told them to get off his property, threatening them with the shotgun," said Sgt. Patrick Webb.
The man was alone in the home. Police say his wife and the four children who live there had fled.
The RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in and tried to talk to the man. About six-and-a-half hours later, the standoff ended.
"At 2 a.m., very unexpectedly, suddenly the individual left the residence quickly carrying what appeared to be a firearm and the individual was shot by an ERT member," added Sgt. Webb.
The victim was treated at the scene by EMS and transferred by ambulance to hospital in Calgary where he later died.
On Sunday, neighbours and friends of the dead man gathered on the street outside of the home, all of them are trying to understand how such a thing could have happened.
"It's very surprising. He seemed like a stable guy to me, good with kids, we all hung out with our kids. He had a young daughter who is a good friend of my daughter," commented Dwayne Dollmaier.
Cory Irvine has lived on the street for 20 years. She woke up to hear police trying to negotiate with the man.
"I heard police talking to him, saying, ‘Use the phone, we will not hurt you.' They were talking a lot. A lot of it I couldn't understand. Then I heard quick shots," said Irvine.
Witnesses tell CTV News they heard three shots. Investigators would not comment if the man was carrying a firearm at the time of the shooting.
The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending a full review of the incident.
Officials with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team say they will be able to give further details regarding the incident later this week.
