REGINA -- A man is dead after an officer-involved shooting in Regina where police say a woman was being held hostage.

Police Chief Evan Bray says officers were called to an apartment early Saturday morning by a resident who reported hearing a disturbance in another suite, loud noises and yelling.

When they arrived, Bray says officers discovered that a man armed with a knife was holding a woman hostage.

Bray shared few details about what happened next, but says more police were called in and they tried to de-escalate the situation for more than an hour when an officer shot their firearm.

"Ultimately, an officer made a decision to discharge a firearm as an acceptable level of force to stop a situation because of the fear he had that someone else could be seriously injured," Bray told reporters at a news conference.

"Clearly there was perceived to be imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm to someone in that apartment."

Police say the woman was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Bray would not say whether the woman was still being held by the man when the shooting occurred, explaining he wanted to protect the integrity of the investigation.

The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, but Bray said police anticipate doing so. He said the man's next-of-kin have been notified.

Bray expressed sympathy for his family, and said Saturday was also a tough day for the officers who were a part of the incident.

The officer involved in the shooting was a member of the patrol response to the incident and will remain on active duty, said Bray.

Bray said it's the second fatal officer-involved shooting the service has seen in about 20 years.

He said the incident is being investigated by the major crimes unit with the help of the Saskatchewan Coroners Service and that oversight will be appointed by the Ministry of Justice.