Man shot by Saskatoon police now charged with 1st-degree murder

A 34-year-old man shot by Saskatoon police while officers executed a search warrant Feb. 3 at a home in the Pacific Heights neighbourhood is now charged with first-degree murder.

Edin Dion Vrazalica appeared briefly by phone in provincial court Thursday. He spoke to Judge Monar Enweani from his hospital bed.

"He's coherent and able to hear," said an officer with Zrazalica in his room.

Vrazalica and Chantal Lee McLaren are both charged with first-degree murder in the city's first homicide of the year. Both are remanded in custody and return to court Feb. 22.

Vrazalica was ordered not to contact four women linked to the investigation, including McLaren.

• Provincial police watchdog investigating after Saskatoon police officer shot 34-year-old man

The shooting happened after police were called to a home on Lisgar Avenue around 2:20 a.m. CST, according to a news release from the province's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), the province's police oversight organization. They were there with a search warrant tied to an aggravated assault investigation involving firearms.

Two people came out of the house and were arrested without incident. A third person — later identified as the 34-year-old — came out, got into a confrontation with police and was shot by an officer, SIRT said.

Police say they then discovered a man's body inside the house. Police have not released his identity, his age or how he died.