RCMP investigation underway at home in Strathcona County

A property in Strathcona County was taped off by police Monday and the medical examiner was on scene, where an RCMP investigation was underway.

In a media release shortly after 8:30 a.m. Monday, RCMP said they were responding to an “unfolding event” near Township Road 520 between Range Road 221 and Range Road 222.

RCMP asked people to stay away from the area and traffic was rerouted. However, police said there was no risk to the public.

Just after 11:30 a.m., RCMP said the situation was over and all the roads were reopened.

RCMP remained on scene Monday afternoon, with a property cordoned off by police tape. Both marked and unmarked RCMP vehicles were also still at the property.

Around 3:30 p.m., a stretcher was seen being loaded into a van.

Joe Tomanek owns an equine centre near the police scene. He said he was on his way to the site when he was told about the police presence and had to wait nearly three hours to get to work.

“Early in the morning, our staff were preparing in the barn for feeding the horses and watering them and they were informed — one of the staff members that doesn’t live on-site was coming and she was blocked off on the road… the RCMP came down and said, ‘You have to leave the site,'” Tomanek said.

“So they had to do their chores with the horses and then the whole site was evacuated and we weren’t allowed on site until the RCMP opened it up for us.”

Tomanek said one of his workers told him police had laid a spike belt out on an area road and that a neighbour had told the worker they heard what sounded to them like a gunshot at about 6 a.m.

According to Tomanek, police seemed to be busy at a neighbour’s property.

“I know them both… they’re very nice people,” he said. “We’ve done some work together.

No further details about the investigation have been released by the RCMP, who said an update may come Tuesday morning.