RCMP apprehension unit wasn't searching for Sask. suspect before stabbing rampage
CBC
The RCMP says a special unit dedicated to apprehending fugitives was not actively searching for a Saskatchewan man they believe to be responsible in a stabbing rampage that left 10 people dead and 18 others injured.
Myles Sanderson was a suspect in the attacks in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask., which prompted a four-day manhunt last week.
He was arrested on a rural stretch of highway last Wednesday, after which police say he went into "medical distress" and died in their custody.
In addition to the 10 people who were killed, Myles's brother Damien, also a suspect, was found dead on the reserve.
The Correctional Service of Canada says Myles Sanderson left prison on statutory release in August 2021 and he was declared unlawfully at large in late May, more than 100 days before the stabbings took place.
Last year, the Saskatchewan RCMP created a dedicated unit to track down people who are wanted for violating conditions of their parole.
But the RCMP says the unit was not investigating Sanderson's case while he was at large.
The force says officers currently have to manage more than 6,000 outstanding warrants, and the unit is focused on finding "high-profile" offenders and gang members.
The stabbings have raised questions about what police and correctional authorities ought to do when people with a violent criminal record violate the rules of their freedom.
Parole documents show Sanderson was convicted of 59 offences as an adult, including 28 for failure to comply with release conditions or failure to appear in court. His criminal record included violent assaults, including against people who were victims in the recent attacks.
In May, Crime Stoppers released a notice that Sanderson was wanted for arrest and had last been seen in Saskatoon. A copy of the warrant issued for Sanderson's arrest in May listed him as having no fixed address.
Saskatoon is one of the two locations for the new provincially funded, RCMP-staffed program that works with municipal police to track down high-profile offenders with outstanding warrants.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice says the RCMP controls the unit's operations.
In a statement, the Saskatchewan RCMP says the warrant enforcement and suppression unit was not actively investigating Sanderson for being unlawfully at large in the months leading up to the attacks.
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