Saskatchewan Mounties shot at, 4 adults in custody
Four men, in late teens, in custody after 'peaceful resolution' to stand off
Violence against members of the RCMP in Saskatchewan has escalated to shots being fired at officers patrolling a First Nation.
Police said two members of the Carrot River detachment of the RCMP were driving on the Red Earth First Nation, about 300 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, early Tuesday morning responding to a call about shots fired in the community.
They said that around 1:20 a.m. CST someone took a shot at them.
"The two members in a marked police vehicle came across a small group of people walking along the street," RCMP Cpl. Rob King told CBC News Tuesday morning. "As the members approached, the members were shot at. Their front windshield was shattered."
It was not known how many shots were fired.
The officers responded by moving away and calling for assistance from other RCMP detachments, although in a later update police noted that the officers did fire back at the shooters.
Emergency Response Team deployed
People who live on the reserve said a long line of RCMP vehicles moved into the community.
"The S.W.A.T. were leading the way," Darren Head said. "There were a total of ten RCMP vehicles following them."
Around 1 p.m. police reported that a stand off in a home on the reserve had ended peacefully just before the noon hour.
"Four adult males [are] in custody in relation to this morning's complaint of shots fired at police on the Red Earth First Nation," police said in a news release updating the situation. "The age of those in custody are 18 or 19 years old."
Police said local leaders helped in the negotiations, mentioning the band's vice-chief, some council members and an elder.
"All were present during the negotiations and the RCMP is greatly appreciative for their involvement in the peaceful resolution of this incident," police said, adding that a shotgun was removed from the home.
There were no reports of any injuries associated with the shootings.
There was also no immediate word on any charges.
The Tuesday morning shooting follows on the heels of violence against police and health care workers in another Saskatchewan community.
The attack happened in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, in La Loche, a town of 2,300 people, 650 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
An RCMP officer with the Carrot River detachment was also the victim of a shooting in 2006 when a teenager, hoping to scare the officer into leaving town, took up a sniper's position outside the officer's home and shot him in the arm.