Six people have been arrested and charged with various offenses following several incidents in the Rosthern RCMP Detachment area on Wednesday, September 11.
A news release issued September 17 by Rosthern RCMP said that in the early morning hours of September 11, Rosthern RCMP received a report of an assault that occurred and a firearm pointed at a person at a residence on Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation
A white truck was stolen from the same property by the suspect when they left.
Around 4:00 a.m., another report was received involving a white truck and a firearm discharged on Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation.
Further reports included a white truck driving into the outside of a residence and also driving after another vehicle. One person reported minor injuries during the white truck theft.
RCMP officers responded and searched for the white truck; it was not located. The identified suspect was determined to have a warrant for arrest related to multiple previous investigations and charges laid.
Around 3:00 p.m., Rosthern RCMP received a report of a grey truck stolen by suspects with a firearm on Mistawasis First Nation. Multiple RCMP Detachments and RCMP Warrant Enforcement and Suppression and Crime Reduction teams began investigating this report and searching for both the grey and white trucks.
Around 4:00 p.m., another report was received of two trucks – the grey stolen truck and another black truck that had been reported stolen overnight and was connected to the wanted suspect – driving erratically on Mistawasis First Nation. All these incidents are believed to be related.
RCMP officers located the trucks driving together in a rural Rosthern Detachment area.
Officers activated their vehicle’s emergency equipment, but both trucks fled. RCMP officers followed the black truck into a field. The black truck drove a short distance before it stalled out in the field. An adult male and adult female were arrested and the wanted suspect fled on foot. Three firearms were seized from the black truck.
During the arrest of the suspects, the black truck started on fire in the dry field, which spread to two responding RCMP vehicles; all three vehicles were destroyed.
Officers requested assistance from the nearest fire department while also ensuring the safety of officers at the scene and the suspects in custody. There was damage to the field as a result of the fire.
The wanted male was located and arrested by RCMP Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services officers a short while later in the same area. The male was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
The grey truck was located by responding RCMP Emergency Response Team officers in the Rosthern Detachment area and a tire deflation device was used. The grey truck got stuck in a drainage ditch and the lone occupant was arrested. A female and male were observed walking on a grid road a short distance away – the female was arrested and the male was arrested by RCMP Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services officers a short while later in the same area after he fled on foot.
In total, six people were arrested – one person was released without charges.
The wanted person is identified as 26-year-old Sundance Okemaysim of Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation. Sundance and 34-year-old Regis Gamble, 20-year-old Ashton Okemaysim, 29-year-old Shynia Oxebin and 33-year-old Elliott Sutherland, all of Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation, are all charged with:
* One count, robbery with a firearm, section 244(1)(a.1) of the Criminal Code
* One count, possession of property over $5,000.00 obtained by crime, section 354(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
* One count, fail to stop for a peace officer, section 320.17 of the Criminal Code
* One count, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
Sundance is also charged with:
* Three counts, uttering threats, section 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
* One count, break and enter, section 348(1)(b) of the Criminal Code
* Two counts, pointing a firearm
* Two counts, assault, sections 348(1)(b) and 266 of the Criminal Code
* One count, robbery with firearm, section 344 of the Criminal Code
* One count, careless use of a firearm, section 86(2) of the Criminal Code
* Two counts, pointing a firearm, section 87(1) of the Criminal Code
They all were scheduled to appear in Rosthern Provincial Court on September 17.
This investigation is ongoing.