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Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response Team is investigating after a suspect was shot in the arm by an RCMP officer during his arrest.
According to a statement from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, RCMP officers in the Canwood area spotted a dark-coloured SUV “associated with an individual wanted in relation to recent firearms incidents on the James Smith Cree Nation” on Wednesday afternoon.
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Police tried to perform a traffic stop, but the driver of the SUV took off, driving the vehicle off-road through fields at several points during the pursuit.
Ultimately, the SUV collided with an embankment in a pasture, the ministry said, bringing the chase to an end.
“Immediately after the SUV came to a stop, a male exited the driver’s side of the vehicle, and a confrontation took place with the RCMP member operating the lead police vehicle in the pursuit,” the ministry said. “During that confrontation, the RCMP member discharged two rounds from a service pistol, striking the man in the arm.”
The man who was shot was quickly arrested without further incident, the ministry said, and a female passenger in the SUV was also taken into custody.
“RCMP members provided first aid, and both occupants of the SUV were conveyed to hospital where they were treated,” the ministry explained.
“The 32-year-old man was treated for a gunshot wound to the left arm, and the 30-year-old woman was treated for potential injuries sustained during the SUV’s collision with the embankment.”
The shooting is now under investigation by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team, a civilian-led organization that is mandated to scrutinize “cases of serious injury, death sexual assault or interpersonal violence arising from the actions or omissions of on and off-duty police officers, or while an individual is in police custody.”
The ministry said no further details on the shooting will be released at this time, but a final report from the serious incident response team will be made public within 90 days of the investigation’s conclusion.
