Gunfire exchanged between police and suspect on highway east of Carstairs

(Supplied/RCMP)

An investigation is underway after gunfire was exchanged between Alberta RCMP officers and a suspect on a highway near Carstairs late Friday night.

At 11:40 p.m., Alberta RCMP were notified by Calgary police about a suspect who had previously fled and was being followed by HAWCS helicopter.

Calgary police officers, working in collaboration with the Alberta RCMP real time operations centre and RCMP officers from detachments in Airdrie, Didsbury, Olds and Sundre set up a tire deflation device that successfully disabled the suspect’s vehicle on the QE II close to Highway 581.

At the following traffic stop, gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and police, with no one struck.

Police followed up with verbal contact with the suspect, and the situation de-escalated. The suspect surrendered.

No one was injured.

The incident is now under investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.

In an update issued shortly after noon,  Alberta RCMP advised that the scene is now clear and traffic flow has resumed in both directions.

Domestic disturbance in southwest Calgary

Calgary police issued a statement  Saturday afternoon outlining the situation that led up to the incident on the highway.

At around 10:45 p.m., police responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in southwest Calgary, where they were told a man damaged property inside a home, damaged a car and injured a cat.

Police located the suspect, but when they tried a traffic stop, he fled.

The suspect was monitored from the sky by the Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety as he drove out of Calgary along Highway 2, leading to the collaboration with the Alberta RCMP at 11:40 p.m.

A Calgary police officer did fire their weapon during the exchange of gunfire with the suspect, which is being investigated by ASIRT.

Charges relating to the domestic disturbance are pending.