Saskatchewan's police watchdog investigating fatal officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation

Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has been deployed following a fatal officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation.

Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has been deployed following a fatal officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation.

The man shot by police has been identified as Joseph “Joey” Desjarlais, 34. Desjarlais was killed following a pursuit on the first nation.

Both Saskatchewan RCMP and SIRT shared news of the deployment late Tuesday evening.

Fishing Lake First Nation, located about 120 kilometres northwest of Yorkton, was host to a significant RCMP presence on Tuesday.

According to the service, officers were in the area searching for a suspect wanted in connection to a long list of armed robberies across east central Saskatchewan.

At around 1 p.m., RCMP say officers witnessed a van travelling at a high rate of speed on the first nation.

The officers activated their vehicle’s emergency lights and attempted a traffic stop. The van did not stop.