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.

The deceased was identified as Joseph "Joey" Desjarlais, 34. Desjarlais died 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.

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Soon after this incident, RCMP in the area received a report that a van had been stolen from a school on the first nation. It was determined that the van was the same vehicle that officers had attempted to pull over.

The driver was reported to be armed.

What followed was a pursuit down several roads in the rural area. Police noted that a dangerous person alert was sent out during the incident.

RCMP say that around 1:45 p.m., the van entered a field. Firearms were discharged. However, the suspect vehicle continued to travel.

The van soon came to a stop and additional shots were fired. The driver and sole occupant of the van was found injured by police.

He was later declared dead at the scene by EMS. In its update on Tuesday evening, RCMP confirmed that Desjarlais was the victim of the officer-involved shooting.

His family has been notified, according to the service.

Joseph "Joey" Desjarlais, 34, died following a pursuit and officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation on Sept. 24, 2024. (Source: Saskatchewan RCMP)

Stars Air Ambulance, was dispatched just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday for a scene call emergency in the area of Fishing Lake First Nation.

STARS confirmed to CTV News that STAR-9 was "stood down" prior to arriving at the scene as it was "not medically required."

Desjarlais was wanted in relation to several robberies and a break-in over the past month in the communities of Wadena, Foam Lake, Melfort and Yorkton.

According to RCMP, the first incident involving Desjarlais was reported on Sept. 8. Wadena RCMP responded to a reported robbery of a local business just before midnight.

RCMP say the suspect approached an employee with an apparent firearm and stole merchandise. A little more than an hour later, the same suspect was involved in a break-in at a business in Foam Lake.

Desjarlais was identified as the suspect and charged with four counts.

On Sept. 16, RCMP say Desjarlais was involved in an armed robbery at a rural home outside of Spalding, Sask.

According to police, two men entered the home with guns and masks and threatened two people inside. The suspects stole two firearms and electronics from the home before fleeing. No one was injured in the incident.

RCMP responded and found the suspect vehicle on Fishing Lake First Nation – later discovering the vehicle was stolen out of Humboldt.

Officers arrested the driver, a 23-year-old man from Spalding, and charged him with three counts of possessing property obtained by crime and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Desjarlais was charged with 10 additional counts for his alleged role in the robbery. They included robbery and weapons related charges.

The third robbery occurred on Sept. 22 around 2:05 a.m. at a business on Smith Street in Yorkton. Police learned that a man entered the business, threatened an employee with a gun and proceeded to steal cash, cigarettes and the keys to the employee’s vehicle.

The suspect then fled in that vehicle. No one was injured during the incident.

As a result of the continued investigation, Desjarlais was charged with six additional counts, including theft of a motor vehicle and weapons charges.

Desjarlais faced a total of 20 charges relating to the robberies and break-in.

As required by The Police Act, 1990, SIRT was notified of the incident and will investigate Saskatchewan’s RCMP’s interaction with Desjarlais and the circumstances of his death.

All further inquiries were directed to SIRT by Saskatchewan RCMP.

SIRT serves as an independent, civilian-led unit responsible for investigating incidents involving police in Saskatchewan.

SIRT investigations are required if a person is seriously injured or dies in police custody or as a result of a police officer’s actions.