Assistant Commissioner Mark Fisher, Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP said Tuesday an RCMP member has been injured in a shooting, suffering a serious but non-life threatening gunshot wound. He also said the RCMP has requested an external, independent investigation of the event, as required by the RCMP Act.
According to a release, earlier today, RCMP officers from the Turtleford Detachment responded to multiple reports of a dangerous, possibly impaired driver in the Turtleford area, driving at high rates of speed. In his press conference, Fisher said the call originally came into the Loon Lake detachment just after 7:30 a.m. Members were dispatched to the area but did not locate the vehicle, said Fisher.
Over the course of the next few hours, and in several different locations, he said, the vehicle was spotted by RCMP but they were unable to successfully stop it until just after 10:30 a.m., just outside Mervin.
As two police officers approached the vehicle, one officer sustained a gunshot wound.
The officers on the scene discharged their firearms, said Fisher.
The wounded officer was taken to hospital in Turtleford.
One adult suspect male was arrested and taken to hospital for what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries.
At that point, police determined there was no further threat, said Fisher.
The details of what happened will be determined through the external investigaion, said Fisher. The RCMP has also requested the Ministry of Justice to appoint an independent observer to access the quality of the external investigation.
He said, "We realize there are many outstanding questions. Remember that is the purpose of the investigation that has just begun."
This story has been upated to include a remarks by Assistant Commissioner Mark Fisher, Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP.
