Edmonton man fatally shot by police identified as construction worker

The man shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop in southwest Edmonton Thursday has beenidentified asVitaly Savin, sources tell CBC News.

An employee of an Edmonton home construction company where he had worked, confirmedhe worked there as a subcontractor.

Savin's LinkedIn page says he's worked for more than eight years in Edmonton as a drill operator withthe company, called Great Canadian. Prior to moving to Edmonton, heworked as a mining engineer in Russia.

• Impaired-driving suspect shot dead by Edmonton police officer in city's southwest

On his Facebook page, Savin, 55, is still connected to family and friends in Russia.

His most recent post, made just half an hour before he was pulled over by police, said: "Russia will win." The post was made around the time a Russian team was wrapping up a soccer game in the Europa League.

A court check shows Savinas havingno criminal record.

At around1:30 p.m. Thursday, Edmonton Police Service received two 911 calls from citizens reporting a possible impaired driver.

A patrol officer, driving a marked police vehicle, located the suspect vehicle in a cul-de-sac near Hollands Landing in the Hodgson neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton.

The officer pulled over the driver. Both got out of their cars. There was a confrontation, the AlbertaSerious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said.

The officer shot the man, who was pronounced deadat the scene.

Witnesses to the shooting in southwest Edmonton Thursday have told police the driver came at the officer with a knife, sources told CBC.

ASIRT, which is investigating the shooting, reported in a news release Fridayalarge hunting knife was recovered near the driver's body.

While ASIRT has not identified the shooting victim, the release said he was 55 years old.

ASIRT is investigatingthe circumstances surrounding the confrontation that resulted in the officer firing hispolice-issuefirearmand is encouraging anyone with information or who witnessed the incidentto call them.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

ASIRT's mandate is to investigate incidents involving Alberta's police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.