MEADOW LAKE — A man arrested in Alberta in July and wanted in connection with a Saskatchewan shooting has finally returned to the province to face charges.
Christopher Ernest, 26, was wanted by Meadow Lake RCMP for a shooting on Waterhen Lake First Nation in June. Police say they responded to a report of an altercation between a group of individuals where shots were fired. A man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Ernest was arrested in Sherwood Park, Alta., in July, where he was charged with firearm-related offences. He remained in custody in Alberta to face numerous charges in Sherwood Park, and in Calgary dating back to 2023.
In August, Saskatchewan RCMP told SaskToday in an email that his Saskatchewan charges would be dealt with at a later date.
On Oct. 29, in an Alberta court, five charges were withdrawn and Ernest pleaded guilty to five others. He was given a global jail sentence of 195 days, minus 175 days credit for time served.
With his Alberta charges resolved, Ernest was transported back to Saskatchewan. He appeared in Meadow Lake Provincial Court on Nov. 20 and was remanded in custody. He is now scheduled to return to court on Nov. 24. He faces numerous charges in Saskatchewan, including those related to the June shooting, as well as being unlawfully at large.
According to parole documents, Ernest is a street gang member with a violent history.
In April 2021 he was involved in a violent confrontation between rival gangs. The incident escalated from a bear spray attack to a shooting, leaving a bystander injured by shattered glass from their struck vehicle. Ernest was arrested the next day in possession of bear spray.
Just one week later, while under a court-ordered conditional sentence, he was found in breach of his conditions during a traffic stop. He fled from police, dragging an officer with his vehicle before being apprehended while hiding under a car in a parking lot. A firearm, later linked to the earlier shooting, was found nearby. A forensic review of his phone also revealed messages discussing plans to shoot another victim in the kneecaps, say parole documents.
While on remand, he managed a brief escape before being recaptured.
In February 2023, when Ernest was on statutory release for his previous offences, he was located by police driving a stolen vehicle at high speeds in a dangerous manner, only stopping when the vehicle became stuck in deep snow. He resisted arrest, and a search of the stolen vehicle uncovered firearms, a knife, and ammunition, say parole documents.
Ernest had previously escaped custody. In April 2021, while appearing in Meadow Lake Provincial Court on weapons and assault charges, he fled but was later apprehended in Edmonton and returned to Saskatchewan.
