MEADOW LAKE – A 30-year-old man, who was the subject of a Canada-wide warrant, will remain in custody after being denied bail on Sept. 29 in Meadow Lake Provincial Court.
Brenden Tyler Yew is now scheduled to appear in Canoe Lake Cree Nation Circuit Court on Oct. 9.
Yew was arrested by Edmonton Police Service on May 6 and returned to Saskatchewan. At the time, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) had been searching for him. He was wanted by Correctional Service Canada for being unlawfully at large (UAL).
According to court documents, on Sept. 6, Yew escaped lawful custody while at St. Joseph’s Hospital, fleeing from an officer during a medical visit. He now faces charges related to that incident.
Additional charges laid on Sept. 6 at Canoe Lake First Nation include multiple counts of possession of a firearm while prohibited, stemming from prior court orders in 2013, 2015 and 2021, as well as carrying a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, and resisting arrest.
Yew is also accused of intentionally discharging a .22 calibre rifle in a careless manner and possessing the firearm without a licence.
Sentenced to prison
In 2021, Yew was convicted in Meadow Lake Provincial court on drug trafficking offences, resisting arrest, and breaching court conditions. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
According to parole documents, Yew has been affiliated with a street gang since 2013, though he reportedly disaffiliated in 2019 following internal conflict in the gang. He was stabbed 15 times after leaving the gang.
Despite this, parole records indicate ongoing involvement in institutional subculture, including suspected drug distribution and gang activity, which Yew denies. He has expressed little remorse for his criminal actions, saying that selling drugs is a “victimless crime.”
Gladue factors
Yew’s criminal history began in youth and continued into adulthood, according to parole documents. He has convictions for drug trafficking and possession, weapons offences, assault, uttering threats, mischief, and property crimes.
As an Indigenous offender, the Parole Board considered Gladue factors, nothing intergenerational trauma, family fragmentation, and early exposure to substance abuse.
In prison, Yew demonstrated aggressive behaviour and contraband involvement. He was released on statutory release twice, first in December 2022, which was revoked after he tested positive for cocaine and went UAL until May 2023. During that period, police received reports of him possessing firearms, though charges weren’t pursued due to a lack of evidence.
His second release in September 2023 ended similarly, with Yew missing program sessions and supervision meetings before going UAL again. He was arrested on May 9, 2024, after jumping from a second-story window in an attempt to evade arrest.
Following his return to custody, Yew was placed in maximum security.
