There was a heavy police presence in Osler, Sask. on Friday after gunfire was exchanged between a suspect and the RCMP.
Afterwards, police asked for the public’s assistance in finding the suspect(s) involved, whom they consider to be armed and dangerous.
The RCMP said an officer spotted something suspicious on Highway 11, north of Osler, early Friday morning.
“Shortly before four o’clock this morning, a Rosthern Detachment member noted a black car pulled over on the side of Highway 11 near Osler with no lights on. The member pulled over and activated their emergency equipment,” said Mandy Maier with the Saskatchewan RCMP.
Police said the suspect then shot at the officer and the uninjured RCMP member returned fire.
“The car fled towards Saskatoon on Highway 11. The member attempted to follow the vehicle and Saskatoon Police Service was notified. The vehicle has not been located yet,” Maier said.
Some area residents said they found the details unsettling after learning of the incident.
“We’ve heard some criminal activity in the past, but nothing like this,” Terry Friesen said.
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Val Kirtzinger owns a business in Osler and said they’ve been broken into several times and that property crimes in rural Saskatchewan are on the rise.
“Lately, anything is possible,” she said. “All kinds of things happen but around here, I don’t think anything like this has happened before.”
READ MORE: Man dies after being shot by RCMP in North Battleford, Sask.
The one suspect observed by police is described as a thin male driving a vehicle like the one featured below: a black Cadillac CTS without a licence plate.
The RCMP warned the public that if they spot a vehicle that matches the description of the suspect’s car, don’t approach it and call 911 immediately to report it to police.
A further investigation of the scene involving supporting units was launched several hours later.
Barricades restricting southbound motorists traveling from Prince Albert to the Saskatoon area were detoured five kilometres west to the edge of Neuhorst for approximately five hours.
“We’ve raised our kids here, our grandkids live here now and we’ve never had any problems,” said Barry Donaldson, a Neuhorst area resident. “We’re never worried about anything.”
READ MORE: Saskatoon police shoot man who fired at officers
Anyone who was travelling in either direction along Highway 11 between Rosthern and Saskatoon and between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., is asked to call the RCMP with any possible information that could help investigators.
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