A police shooting in New Brunswick is bringing back painful memories for one Saskatchewan MP.
Moncton RCMP concluded a 30-hour manhunt for 24-year-old Justin Bourque with his arrest early Friday morning after three officers were shot and killed and two injured Wednesday night.
Bourque surrendered to members of a SWAT team who spotted him in some trees in a woman’s backyard.
The woman witnessed the arrest and said Bouque said, “I’m done” when he surrendered to police.
The RCMP say he was unarmed at the time of his arrest, although there were weapons found nearby.
Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River Conservative MP Rob Clarke was the commanding officer on duty on July 7, 2006 when Curtis Dajenais shot and killed RCMP constables Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages after a high speed chase in Spiritwood.
A third officer, Michelle Knopp, was also injured in the shooting.
Clarke says the tragic day remains fresh in his mind.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Dajenais didn’t want to stop and it escalated to the point where he took the lives of Mark and Robin and injured Michelle,” he says. “But I think the biggest part of it is it wasn’t just the loss of human life, it destroyed families.”
He adds his heart goes out to the families of the slain officers and those who were on active duty trying to apprehend the gunman.
“My first reaction was, ‘Oh no, don’t let this be happening again,’…I think about Spiritwood everyday. My heart just dropped.”
Cameron was a member of the Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation.
(with files from The Canadian Press)