Melville, Sask. shooting that left 2 RCMP officers injured began with property dispute, says witness

RCMP say 2 officers were taken to infirmary in herman melville, Sask., after face of the earth crack while responding to an assault call on Sunday night.

Police say they got the call for help at about 9:35 p.m. CST Sunday, and were sent to a home on Eighth Avenue West.

They say a gun was fired multiple times and two police officers were hit. They were taken to hospital with injuries described as serious.

A suspect was arrested at about 2 a.m. CST after a standoff that lasted several hours. A second person also left the home and was arrested, but was quickly cleared of any involvement in the shooting.

A nearby neighbour, 47-year-old Richard Goebel, said he saw what happened just before the shooting. He said the apparent shooter was living with a woman who recently lost her partner. He said an argument with a neighbour became physical in the front yard.

"I've lived here for 35 years, and no, nothing like this has ever happened on my block," Goebel said. "There was an argument between two people that live across the street and the neighbours about a property line, and then it just got into a pushing and shoving fest."

Goebel said he saw the man accused in the shooting disappear around the corner of the home, then heard several gunshots.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, five shots, big shots.… My wife and I just ran to the back of the house and just hit the ground," Goebel said. "What the hell is going on? This is the little town of Melville."

Neighbour dispute led to officers being shot in Melville, Sask., witness says

Damian Goebel, a cousin to Richard and volunteer firefighter, also lives nearby. He said he thought he heard fireworks, and went to his back alley to investigate. He says he was only 50 or 60 feet away from the police when it happened.

"You could see them ducking.. I think looking over a fence…They were looking up, down, up, down, then I heard shots and then the officer said 'officer hit, officer hit, I'm down.' Then I'd seen him go to the ground, and I'd seen him crawling to the backside of the cruiser."

He said he's known one of the officers who was shot for about four years, and that the officer was flashing his flashlight at him like a signal to get back.

"I physically just saw the one go down, because they were standing side by side," said Goebel.

The RCMP held a news conference in Regina Monday morning to address the incident.

"At this point in time, we believe that [the officers] are in stable condition," said Chief Supt. Murray Chamberlin, who spent time in the hospital last night with the officers and their families.

Chamberlin said he did not believe any RCMP officers fired their guns.

"What started off as a report of an assault — something we attend to routinely — ended as a potentially life changing call for two of our officers," he said.

"Unfortunately our job comes with inherent risks, and this is a reminder of that."

2 RCMP officers shot, seriously injured in Melville, Sask.

Police say there is no elevated risk to the public. So far, there are no charges, but the RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit continues to investigate.

Premier Scott Moe sent out thoughts and prayers over social media, expressing gratitude to RCMP and first responders.

"On behalf of the people of Saskatchewan, we are hoping for their full and speedy recovery and stand with all those affected by this senseless act of violence," Moe wrote.

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