'(It) went Dukes of Hazzard in the air': Man dead after RCMP fire at truck in Blairmore, Alberta

One man dead after Blairmore shooting Watch: It was a scene straight out of "Cops" in Blairmore Tuesday, and ended with one man dead. Tyler Barrow reports.

Blairmore — One man is dead following a Tuesday afternoon RCMP investigation in Crowsnest Pass that culminated in officers firing shots at a suspect vehicle.

According to RCMP officials, two RCMP members attempted to stop a vehicle in the parking lot of the Blairmore Home Hardware at approximately 5 p.m. A confrontation occurred and the officers fired their service pistols.

The suspect attempted to drive off and, according to a witness, an officer gave chase on foot.

Blairmore resident Lana Linderman witnessed the chaotic scene.

"I see the truck flying over a snowbank from Home Hardware parking lot," said Linderman. "It went to the south. There's a big pile of snow and the truck hit that at very high accelerated speed, went Dukes of Hazzard in the air, landed down hard and continued at a high rate of speed."

"All of a sudden what I noticed was a constable running onto the road with a firearm in his hands and he was screaming and he fell down in the road. He was screaming 'Stop! Stop!' and he's pointing his firearm in the direction of the truck."

The getaway was short-lived after the pickup truck struck the ditch. The suspect was pronounced dead a short time later. Officials confirm the deceased, who has not been identified, has sustained gunshot wounds.

RCMP have not disclosed what prompted the attempted traffic stop.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the actions of the RCMP members. ASIRT investigates every incident where a police member fires their service weapon.

The agency says it is looking for witnesses of the incident, including those that may have photos or video of what transpired.

"ASIRT’s investigation will focus on the actions of police during this incident, while the RCMP will maintain responsibility for the investigation that led to the traffic stop," ASIRT said in a release.

No further information is expected at this time.

The community of Blairmore is located in the Crowsnest Pass, approximately 140 kilometres west of the city of Lethbridge. In 2016, its population was slightly more than 2,000.