One dead, four arrested after shootout with RCMP on Cumberland House Cree Nation

A 22-year-old Prince Albert man is dead and four others were arrested after a gunfight broke out while the RCMP was searching for a wanted man on the Cumberland House Cree Nation on Thursday.

According to the RCMP, officers got a tip that a man wanted for assaulting a police officer was in the community. As officers surrounded a property on Pemmican Portage Avenue, they spotted a man with a firearm on the property.

Due to the potential danger, the RCMP said its Critical Incident Response Team was called in, and a civil emergency alert was issued shortly after 1 p.m. warning residents to stay inside and lock their doors and windows.

The Nisto Awasisak Memorial School was locked down as a precaution, police said, and nearby homes were evacuated.
During the ensuing standoff, three people left the home and were immediately arrested. One of them, the RCMP said, had a loaded firearm.

Soon after, police said, someone inside the home began firing and a second emergency alert was issued. After attempts at negotiation failed, RCMP officers returned fire, exchanging shots with the suspects inside.

Just before 5 p.m., a few hours into the standoff, a man came out of the house and was arrested. He was taken to hospital for “a medical condition unrelated to the incident,” the RCMP said, and told police an injured person was still inside the home.

Officers with the Critical Incident Response Team entered the home and found the injured man, a 22-year-old from Prince Albert. Despite receiving first aid from RCMP officers at the scene, he was declared dead after being taken to hospital.

The Mounties said they aren’t releasing the dead man’s name, but did say his family has been notified. Police did not specify what caused his injuries and death.

The incident will be investigated by an outside agency, the RCMP said, as is required whenever an incident involves a death or serious injury. The RCMP said it requested the investigation be conducted by the Moose Jaw Police Service, and also noted it has requested an independent observer be appointed by the Ministry of Justice.

The four people arrested are in police custody, the RCMP said, and criminal charges are pending. The RCMP said it will share details on charges, but couldn’t provide any more information on the incident because it’s under external investigation.