Two wanted men arrested, woman charged on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation: Sask. RCMP

Two men wanted on outstanding warrants were arrested without incident on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation early Monday morning, while a third person now faces multiple charges after allegedly assaulting police officers during the arrests.

In a news release on July 27, Saskatchewan RCMP also addressed videos circulating online that captured part of the incident, saying the officers’ use of force was reviewed and determined to be reasonable.

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According to RCMP, officers with the Loon Lake detachment responded at about 5 a.m. to a report of a drug-impaired person on a street in Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation.

While responding to the call, officers spotted an adult man who was wanted on an outstanding warrant entering a nearby home.

Police spoke with the occupants at the front door, and the two wanted men were arrested without incident — a 30-year-old from Edmonton on an outstanding warrant from Swift Current RCMP, and a 28-year-old from the First Nation, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant from Loon Lake RCMP.

During the arrests, RCMP said a 40-year-old woman became confrontational and punched two police officers.

Police told the woman to stop moving, but she left the entrance area of the home and went down the stairs, RCMP said. Officers arrested her outside.

All three people were taken to the Loon Lake RCMP detachment, and police said the woman was assessed by paramedics for what was described as minor injuries.

The woman has been charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, two counts of resisting a police officer, one count of obstructing a police officer and one count of possession of cocaine.

She was scheduled to appear in Meadow Lake Provincial Court on Tuesday.

In the release, Saskatchewan RCMP said it had received media inquiries about videos shared online showing part of the incident.

“When police officers are required to intervene in a given situation, it is, by nature, a complex, dynamic and constantly evolving situation, often in a highly charged atmosphere,” the release said.

“We recognize that any enforcement action can generate strong reactions and we take those concerns seriously.”

RCMP noted that Section 25 of the Criminal Code allows police officers to use force while lawfully carrying out their duties, provided they are acting on reasonable grounds.

The force said the incident underwent an initial review at the Saskatchewan RCMP district level, including a review of body-worn camera footage recorded by the officers involved.

“Following an initial review of this incident at the Saskatchewan RCMP District level, which included the viewing of the RCMP body-worn camera footage, the force used by the police officers involved in this incident was determined to be reasonable,” the release said.

RCMP added that the body-worn camera footage is considered evidence and will be presented as part of future court proceedings.

Because the woman sustained what police described as non-serious injuries, RCMP said the incident was not referred to Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT).

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