Pubdate: Fri, 04 Mar 2005
Source: Metro (CN ON)
Section: Front Page
Copyright: 2005 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3462
Author: Dan Riedlhuber, Reuters
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

4 OFFICERS KILLED

Suspect In Shootout Also Found Dead In Alberta Drug Raid

An RCMP officer holds back tears after learning that four officers had been 
killed during an investigation into a marijuana grow operation near 
Mayerthorpe, located 140 km northwest of Edmonton.

Four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were shot and killed during a 
raid on a marijuana-growing operation in rural Alberta yesterday, in one of 
the bloodiest days in the history of the national police force, a senior 
official said.

A suspect in the shootout that erupted inside a large farm building that 
police were investigating also died when he turned his rifle on himself, 
said Bill Sweeney, commanding officer of the RCMP in Alberta.

"The loss of four officers is unprecedented in recent history in Canada. 
I'm told you have to go back to about 1885 in the RCMP history during the 
Northwest Rebellion to have a loss of this magnitude," Sweeney told 
reporters in the town of Mayerthorpe, about 140 km northwest of Edmonton.

The officers' names were not released as next of kin were being notified.

In the late morning, the officers, armed with handguns, entered a large 
metal hut as part of a stakeout that began the night before when they came 
under fire from what police said was a man armed with a rifle.

In response, the force called in its SWAT team and major crime units and 
closed the airspace over the area. It requested the Edmonton city police 
department helicopter as well as armoured personnel vehicles from 
Edmonton's armed forces base. In mid-afternoon, police surrounded and 
stormed the building only to find the bodies of the officers and the 
suspect, said Cpl. Wayne Oakes. The suspect may have entered to find the 
officers inside, then opened fire, Oakes said.

Police have been cracking down on illicit marijuana "grow-ops" that have 
sprung up across Alberta.
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