(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

CRIME

RCMP charge five after string of crimes near Rosthern

Sep 17, 2024 | 6:00 PM

Five people are in custody after a string of crimes were committed near Rosthern last week.

The incidents occurred throughout Wednesday, Sept. 11 and began in the early hours of the day when police received reports that someone was assaulted, and that someone was pointing a gun on Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation. It was also reported that a white truck was stolen from the same property by the suspect when they left. One person reported minor injuries during the white truck theft.

At around 4:00 a.m., another report was received involving a white truck and a firearm being shot. Further reports included a white truck driving into the side of a residence and the truck also following another vehicle.

After officers arrived, they were unable to locate the stolen white truck, however, they discovered the identified suspect had an outstanding warrant related to multiple previous investigations and charges had been laid.

At around 3:00 p.m. later that afternoon, Rosthern RCMP received another report of a stolen truck, this time a grey truck that was stolen by armed suspects 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.

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Around an hour later, 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.

RCMP later found the grey and black trucks driving in the Rosthern area where they activated their lights and sirens to pull them over. The two vehicles then sped off.

Police managed to follow the black truck into a field before it stalled and subsequently arrested a man and a woman at the scene while the wanted suspect fled on foot. During a search of the black truck, police located and seized three firearms before the truck started on fire and quickly spread to two responding RCMP vehicles. All three vehicles were destroyed.

The fleeing wanted suspect was located a short time later in the same area with the help of the RCMP Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services.

Meanwhile, the grey truck was located near Rosthern by responding officers, who used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle. The truck came to rest in a drainage ditch and a suspect was arrested.

A short time later, a man and a woman were seen walking on a nearby grid road. The woman was arrested at the scene, while the man was located and arrested a short distance away after he tried to run.

In total, six people were arrested and one was released without charges.

26-year-old Sundance Okemaysim, 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 each of robbery with a firearm, possession of property over $5,000 obtained by crime, fail to stop for a peace officer, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Additionally, Sundance, who was identified as the wanted suspect, is also charged with three counts of uttering threats, two counts each of pointing a firearm and assault, and one count each of break and enter, robbery with firearm, and careless use of a firearm.

The five suspects appeared in Rosthern Provincial Court on Tuesday.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com