ESTEVAN — The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has cleared an Estevan police officer of wrongdoing in a fatal shooting that took place inside police headquarters nearly two years ago.
The Oct. 2 public report concluded there were “no grounds to believe an offence was committed” by the officer involved, and no charges will be laid.
In the morning of Nov. 1, 2023, the EPS received a call for service and discovered a woman who had sustained serious injuries within a residence in the 1200-block of Sixth Street Estevan. Despite first aid and medical treatment being provided, the woman, Karie Ann Guillas, was pronounced dead and her 19-year-old son Justice was arrested.
Justice Guillas was taken to EPS headquarters to be processed in conjunction with his arrest. During the process of photographing the man, a confrontation took place and the man gained control of an EPS-issued firearm. During the incident, one member of EPS, Sgt. Braden Lonsberry, was shot, sustaining a serious injury. A second EPS member discharged their service pistol, striking the 19 year-old man.
EPS members provided first aid until Estevan EMS arrived. They provided care to both the officer and Justice Guillas before both individuals were transported to hospital, first in Estevan and then to Regina. Guillas was subsequently declared deceased at approximately 3:50 p.m. that day.
Lonsberry returned to active duty several weeks later.
Following the notification, a SIRT team consisting of the civilian executive director and five SIRT investigators were deployed to Estevan to begin their investigation.
SIRT said video evidence was limited because the observation room where the incident took place was not equipped with cameras, “so as to preserve the right of an accused to speak privately with counsel.” Investigators relied on witness interviews, forensic evidence, and officer accounts to reconstruct events.
The report states the subject officer and the injured officer struggled with the suspect over the firearm. The suspect fired at least two shots, injuring the officer before being shot himself.
“The events inside the observation room, comprising an ongoing situation where risk of death remained real and grievous bodily harm had already occurred, amply satisfy the criteria required under both S.25 and S.34 of the Criminal Code to legally protect the force employed by the SO [subject officer] to address that ongoing risk,” the report said.
Greg Gudelot, SIRT’s civilian executive director, wrote in the report: “There being no grounds to believe an offence was committed by the subject officer, SIRT’s involvement with this matter is concluded without referral to the Attorney General for Saskatchewan.”
The injured officer was treated and released from hospital. No further charges have been laid.
The full SIRT report is available on the organization’s website.
More to come.
