Saskatchewan RCMP are confirming that Myles Sanderson has died at hospital after going into medical distress following his arrest south of Rosthern, Wednesday afternoon.
Police stopped Sanderson by “directing” the vehicle he was driving into a ditch. Officers report that a knife was found in the white Chevrolet Avalanche which was reported stolen earlier and according to Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, the vehicle was clocked at a speed of some 150 km/hr while traveling on the highway south of Rosthern.
A dangerous persons alert had been issued by police who were seeking Sanderson and his brother Damien (deceased) as suspects in the stabbing deaths of 10 people on the James Smith Cree Nation on Sunday.
In a media briefing that started after 8 p.m., Blackmore revealed that the suspect went into medical distress and officers performed life saving techniques until the ambulance arrived to take him to hospital in Saskatoon. Also, that Sanderson may have been previously injured as a first-aid kit was missing after a break and enter in Weldon, suggesting that he may have tried to treat himself from previous injuries.
Meantime, in a statement, Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says, “Our many families and people whose lives have been altered forever because of this tragedy can now take comfort that Mr. Sanderson is no longer a risk to their safety. Our communities can now begin the lengthy process of healing through our culture, spirituality, and other denominations.”
Assistant Commissioner Blackmore described the unease felt by residents of the James Smith Cree Nation in the aftermath of the weekend tragedy. She expressed the sentiment that this afternoon’s events will bring some finality as they begin the journey of healing.
“People were saying, ’I haven’t slept. I can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I hear a noise and is he coming back?’ So I hope this brings them some sense of closure.”
An independent external investigation is to be conducted into the cause of Sanderson’s death.