Man armed with sawed-off shotgun shot dead by Edmonton police

A man armed with a sawed-off shotgun was shot and killed by Edmonton police Monday night after he began fighting with officers during a traffic stop.

Police were tipped about a possible drunk driver in north Edmontonat around 9:30 p.m.,said Susan Hughson, executive director of theAlberta Serious Incident Response Team, which is investigating the shooting.

Police locatedthe car near118thAvenue and Abbottsfield Road. But soon after they pulledthe car over, the 31-year-old driver, who was known to police,began fighting with the officers.

During the fight, the driver, the only person in the car, was shot and killedwhile one of theofficers was shot in the lower body.

Only one officer fired his gun, Hughson said.

The injured officer sufferedserious injuries and was placed in another police carand rushed to hospital. Theeight-year memberremained inhospital Tuesday afternoon, butis anticipated to make a full recovery.

The secondofficer involved has been with EPS for 10 years.

"It's one of the most dangerous things police officersdo, is stop cars," said police Chief RodKnechtduring an early morning press conference on Tuesday.

"When we stop a car, you don't know who is in the vehicle, what they have been doing or what they are planning on doing. So this is just another example of a simple traffic stop that turns into something."

An autopsy on the driveris scheduled for Wednesday.

ASIRTinvestigates incidents involvingpolice in Albertathatresultin serious injuries or death.