Suspect fought with neighbour about shed before 2 Saskatchewan Mounties shot: witness

REGINA – A man who witnessed a shooting that left two Mounties seriously hurt in a Saskatchewan city says the alleged gunman got into a fight with his neighbour over a shed before police arrived.

Richard Goebel says he saw the fight Sunday night in Melville, a city of about 4,500 northeast of Regina.

He says the accused gunman had painted his neighbour’s shed without permission, which angered the neighbour.

“The neighbour was like, ‘Why are you painting my bloody shed,'” Goebel said in a phone interview Monday. “There was pushing, shoving and arguing.”

Goebel said the accused, who was wearing a mask, then walked back to his home and grabbed what looked like an “upside down” broom. The man went into his backyard, and Goebel said he heard gunshots.

The neighbour ran back into his house when the shots went off, Goebel added.

“(My wife and I) seen like eight big flashes,” he said. “We heard the whistle after the bang, so we knew it was gun.”

RCMP said the two Mounties were in stable condition in a Regina hospital but with serious and potentially life-altering injuries.

Police charged a 55-year-old man with 11 offences, including two counts of attempted murder. Markus Dodge of Melville was set to appear Tuesday in court in Yorkton, Sask.

Chief Supt. Murray Chamberlin told a news conference that the officers had been responding to an assault and were shot as they approached the home around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Chamberlin said he doesn’t believe the officers returned fire.

“An incident like this is a stark reminder of the dangers of our job,” he said. “What started off as a report of an assault, something we attend to routinely, ended as a potentially life-changing call for two of our officers.”

Police tactical teams and a dog unit were called in to surround the house, and a four-hour standoff followed into the next morning.

Two people later walked out of the home — the suspect was arrested and the second person was detained then released.

RCMP said a gun had been recovered from the home.

Goebel said there were many police cruisers and officers around the property after the shooting.

“My wife and I were told to go to the back of the house, so that we were behind as many walls in our house as possible in case a gunshot came through the window,” he said.

Chamberlin said he spent the night at the hospital with the injured officers and their families. He declined to provide more details about the officers.

“Our thoughts are with them, their families and their colleagues,” he said.

STARS air ambulance said a helicopter was called to the scene but didn’t transport patients due to the weather.

“(RCMP) are in our thoughts as a fellow first responder agency,” it said in a statement.

Premier Scott Moe said his thoughts and prayers are with the officers and their families, as well as police colleagues and the Melville community.

“On behalf of the people of Saskatchewan, we are hoping for their full and speedy recovery and stand with all those affected by this senseless act of violence,” he said in a social media post.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also said on social media that his thoughts are with the officers, their families and the people of Melville.

“Thank you to all the brave police officers who serve to protect our communities and uphold the law,” he said.

Chamberlin said there would be an increased police presence in Melville, as the serious crimes unit continued to investigate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.