RCMP commanding officer reflects on Saskatchewan stabbings and moving forward

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore spoke about the James Smith Cree nation stabbings, the impacts, and what the RCMP are doing moving forward.

Monday, September 4 will be a sombre day for many in Saskatchewan as it marks the anniversary of the James Smith Cree Nation stabbings that left 11 people dead and 17 injured.

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore is the commanding officer for the Saskatchewan RCMP and said the ripple effects that the stabbings have had on the RCMP have been significant.

“When you look at how that incident unfolded and the chaos that was present,” Blackmore said.

She said some RCMP officers have been dealing with trauma due to the stabbings, but added that it’s important to learn lessons from incidents like that.

Blackmore said the initial call was for a stabbing incident, saying while that wasn’t a routine call, it was something that they felt two RCMP members could handle.

“And then the calls started coming, and more, and more, and more, and you have injured people, you have deceased people, you have people in the community who are terrified.”

She said they had over 500 officers from across the country assist in the initial police response. 369 were from Saskatchewan.

Blackmore said there’s still trauma and anxiety attached to getting a call to James Smith Cree Nation now.