SIRT to probe officer-involved shooting on Red Earth Cree Nation

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice has released more information about a shootout that left a suspect dead and an RCMP officer injured on the Red Earth Cree Nation.

In a release Thursday saying the Serious Incident Response Team was investigating, the ministry laid out the events that led up to the shooting.

According to the release, officers from the Carrot River and Nipawin RCMP detachments along with members of the Provincial Protective Services Branch responded Tuesday at about 3:40 a.m. to reports of gunshots on the Red Earth Cree Nation.

The Cree Nation is located 80 kilometres east of Nipawin.

After officers arrived at the scene, two people were taken into custody. Officers searched for the subject of the calls and subsequently saw the suspect, a 25-year-old man.

“As police located this individual, a firearm was discharged, striking the driver’s side window area of one RCMP vehicle, causing non-life-threatening injuries to the driver,” the release said.

“RCMP members repositioned and exited their vehicles, attempting to relocate the man. Once police again located the man, a confrontation occurred between the man and police during which one member of the RCMP discharged their service carbine, striking the man.”

The ministry said officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived and took over. Despite their efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The RCMP sent notification about the shooting to the Serious Incident Response Team later Tuesday morning. The team’s civilian executive director accepted the notification and ordered an investigation.

The director and five SIRT investigators went to the scene along with a community liaison.

“During the course of SIRT’s investigation, a shotgun was recovered from the incident scene and has been seized as an exhibit,” the release said.

The team is to look into the conduct of the police during the incident, including the circumstances leading to the man’s death. The RCMP is to continue its investigation into the original gun call.

The Ministry of Justice said it wouldn’t be releasing any other information, but noted SIRT will issue a final report to the public within 90 days of the investigation ending.