Feds have ‘questions’ about Myles Sanderson’s death in RCMP custody: Mendicino

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says the federal government has “questions” about Myles Sanderson’s demise in RCMP custody shortly after his arrest late Wednesday.

Sanderson was the topic of a four-day manhunt after being named as a suspect in one of many worst mass killings in Canadian historical past. Eleven individuals had been killed throughout the rampage, together with one of many suspects, and 19 individuals had been injured.

The hunt for Sanderson got here to an finish at about 3:30 p.m. native time close to Rosthern, a city north of Saskatoon, the place he was arrested alive.

Simply hours later, police confirmed Sanderson was pronounced lifeless in hospital.

“We’ve questions,” Mendicino stated in response to reporter questions late Wednesday.

“That’s why there was an impartial investigation, which has been commenced on the request of the RCMP, to be carried out by Saskatoon police in addition to one other incident response group out of Saskatchewan.”

That investigation is ongoing, the general public security minister stated.

World Information first reported Sanderson’s demise, citing a number of regulation enforcement sources, who believed he died from self-inflicted accidents, which the RCMP didn’t affirm.

A number of regulation enforcement sources informed World Information that police used a “pursuit intervention method” — ramming Sanderson’s automobile on one facet and inflicting it to spin off the freeway.

Chatting with reporters Wednesday night time, Saskatchewan RCMP Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore stated the automobile was “directed off the street and into a close-by ditch” the place officers had been in a position to determine Sanderson as the motive force. A knife was discovered contained in the automobile after he was taken into custody.

“Shortly after his arrest, he went into medical misery,” Blackmore stated, and “all lifesaving measures that we’re able to had been taken,” together with CPR. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Saskatoon the place he was pronounced lifeless, she added.

The outcomes of a forthcoming post-mortem won’t be launched, RCMP stated, citing the continuing investigation.

“There are a selection of ongoing investigations, each into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Sanderson’s demise, in addition to the stabbings that occurred within the James Smith Cree Nation,” Mendicino stated on Wednesday.

“Clearly, there’ll proceed to be questions … concerning the circumstances involving the demise of Myles Sanderson.”

The hope, Mendicino stated, is to “get hold of a measure of transparency concerning the circumstances.”

“However proper now, the precedence is the household,” he added.

The Saskatchewan Well being Authority famous Wednesday that 10 individuals had been nonetheless within the hospital with accidents, two in important situation.

The RCMP additionally launched the names of the victims of the stabbings on Wednesday. Amongst them, are a 77-year-old widower, a primary responder, and a girl described by her brother as “a real matriarch.”

Ivor Burns and Darryl Burns from the James Smith Cree Nation informed Reuters that their sister, Gloria, was among the many lifeless.

“She devoted her life to serving to individuals. She grew up on this neighborhood, and he or she had battled with habit. She battled with a complete bunch of points in her life earlier than she began working within the area,” Darryl informed World Information.

Ivor stated the bloodbath was “unreal.”

“It’s one thing that’s laborious to grasp as a result of we’re type of a small individuals. We’re caught on the identical little piece of land … and all of us reside shut collectively.”

Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand misplaced his sister and nephew within the assaults. After Sanderson’s arrest — earlier than information of his demise broke — he stated “individuals can begin to really feel secure once more.”

“But in addition now could be the time for therapeutic to start,” he stated.

Blackmore stated Wednesday she hoped households may “relaxation straightforward tonight understanding Myles Sanderson is not a risk to them,” however acknowledged the survivors had “a really lengthy and in depth” therapeutic course of.

As for the motive, she stated the deaths of each Myles and Damien, who she stated continues to be thought-about a suspect within the assaults, means these solutions could by no means be discovered.

“His motivation could, presently and eternally, could solely be recognized to Myles,” she stated.

Investigations into each the circumstances of Sanderson’s demise and the mass stabbings are ongoing.

— with recordsdata from World Information’ Ashleigh Stewart, Mercedes Stephenson, Sean Boynton and Brody Langager