Saskatoon

Regina police wraps external probe of fatal shooting by RCMP in North Battleford

The police service had been asked by the RCMP to look into the Oct. 21, 2017, shooting, about which little is known.

Brydon Whitstone shot by RCMP in October 2017

Brydon Whitstone, 22, was originally from Onion Lake Cree Nation. (Albert Whitstone)

The Regina Police Service has finished its investigation into the circumstances that led North Battleford, Sask., resident Brydon Whitstone to be fatally shot by the RCMP last fall.

"Unless there is a request to clarify information or carry out some other task, our involvement is done," said Elizabeth Popowich, a Regina police spokesperson.

The police service had been asked by the RCMP to look into the Oct. 21 shooting, about which little is known. 

The two Regina investigators from the force's major crimes unit were assigned to the case and sent their reports to an independent observer, appointed by Saskatchewan's Ministry of Justice, in the first week of January 2018.

The observer is still going over the findings, according to the ministry.

The RCMP said Monday it had not received a copy. 

Few details known

The RCMP reported at the time that it had responded to a call from a man in North Battleford saying he had been chased and shot at from a vehicle. 

Officers began investigating and located the suspected vehicle. RCMP gave chase, but the pursuit ended when police allege the vehicle rammed into a cruiser at the intersection of 15th Avenue and 105th Street.​

RCMP said a police vehicle had been rammed during the incident. (David Hutton/CBC News)

RCMP said shots were fired "in response to the driver's actions," wounding a man inside. 

Whitstone, a 22-year-old originally from Onion Lake Cree Nation, died on the way to the hospital. 

Family being updated

Popowich said a third investigator from the major crimes unit was assigned to act as a liaison with Whitstone's family.  

"His role would be to keep the family apprised of developments, as much as would be possible without interfering with the investigation," she said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guy Quenneville

Reporter at CBC Ottawa

Guy Quenneville is a reporter at CBC Ottawa born and raised in Cornwall, Ont. He can be reached at guy.quenneville@cbc.ca