The provincial police watchdog is investigating after an RCMP officer killed the occupant of a vehicle at a traffic stop in Gleichen, Alta., early Thursday morning.

Two officers conducted a traffic stop in the hamlet — which is about 90 kilometres southeast of Calgary — at approximately 4 a.m., RCMP said in a release Thursday.

Police say the officers saw a firearm in the vehicle and while attempting to arrest the person, a confrontation led to an officer firing his weapon, killing the person.

"Every day throughout Alberta, RCMP officers are faced with dynamic and rapidly changing situations where they must make decisions and take actions to ensure public safety," Cpl. Curtis Peters, southern Alberta media relations officer for the RCMP, said in the release.

"Often, an officer's actions are determined by the behavior of the subject or the situation they are faced with."

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating as it does with all officer-involved shootings in the province.