A Canadian Military Sea King Helicopter was forced to make an emergency in an empty lot in a residential area between near a shopping centre in Halifax, Thursday, November 22, 2012. (Sándor Fizli/Special to QMI Agency)

A military helicopter made an emergency landing Thursday in a Halifax parking lot next to a Sobey's grocery store and a Tim Hortons, police said.

By the time Halifax Regional Police arrived on the scene shortly after 2 p.m., the chopper had already landed and military cops were on the scene investigating, Const. Pierre Bourdages said.

Nobody was injured, he added.

The parking lot, just across from a Sobey's and a Tim Hortons off Hwy. 102, is vacant and set aside for future development, Bourdages said.

It's not known how many people were on board or what prompted the emergency landing.

The Sea Kings, purchased by the federal government in 1963, are now an aging fleet, prone to failure and requiring frequent maintenance. They were supposed to have been retired by 2000.

QMI Agency has left a message with the Canadian Forces seeking comment.