The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) has identified the man found dead after a standoff on Avenue Q North Thursday as 28-year-old Joshua John Robert Megeney of Medicine Hat, Alta.
His body was located in a bedroom around 4:30 p.m. CT on Thursday – more than seven hours after police responded to reports of a break and enter in progress.
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Patrol, tactical support and canine units began searching the home around 9:15 a.m. and came upon a locked and barricaded door. After opening the door a few inches, officers reported seeing a man inside a bedroom with a long-barrelled firearm.
SPS officers fired shots, but in an interview Thursday, Saskatoon police chief Clive Weighill couldn’t confirm whether the suspect fired at police.
It’s not known whether Megeney died of self-inflicted wounds or ones caused by police fire, Weighill said.
After the confrontation, officers left the house and set up a perimeter of several blocks.
A news release on Thursday suggested there may have been shots fired after officers left the house. A police spokesperson clarified the release Friday, stating investigators aren’t aware of any shots after the initial confrontation.
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After several failed attempts to communicate with Megeney, police entered the home and found him dead in the bedroom.
Members of the major crime unit are investigating the death.
Because police believe shots were fired by officers, the SPS has requested another agency to provide oversight for the investigation. According to the Saskatchewan Police Act, an independent observer is required to ensure a thorough investigation by an outside police force.
Upon the investigation’s conclusion, the observer must present the deputy minister of justice with a confidential report.
An autopsy was scheduled for Friday. Police said it “may be some time before the results and cause of death is known,” according to a news release.