RM OF CORMAN PARK — A routine check on a suspicious vehicle near the Patience Lake mine led to the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun, multiple firearms charges and a driving suspension after the Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) officers and the Saskatoon RCMP worked side by side to bring the investigation to a conclusion.
According to a news release from the CPPS, on July 11 at approximately 1:20 p.m., the CPPS and the Saskatoon RCMP responded to a report of the suspicious vehicle. The CPPS said officers located and stopped the vehicle just off Highway 5.
During the investigation, the CPPS said the driver was found to be operating the vehicle while impaired by a drug, after performing poorly on a roadside standardized field sobriety test (SFST).
A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, tucked into the vehicle's interior, the CPPS said.
Police added all four occupants of the vehicle were arrested at the scene while the investigation unfolded. The CPPS reported a 50-year-old man later claimed ownership of the firearm. Because he is prohibited from possessing any firearm under an existing order, the CPPS said he now faces multiple firearms charges. He was transported by the Saskatoon RCMP, where he was processed and remanded into custody to await an appearance before a hearing officer.
The driver was determined to be impaired by a controlled drug, the CPPS said. His driver’s licence was suspended and the vehicle was impounded.
The CPPS said no further information is being released at this time as the matter proceeds through the judicial process.
The CPPS thanked the Saskatoon RCMP for its prompt and professional response in this matter.
"Our members work closely with RCMP partners on files of this nature, and their readiness to assume command of criminal matters, including transporting and processing individuals in custody, made for a smooth and safe resolution to this investigation," the CPPS said in a news release. "That kind of responsiveness reflects the strength of the working relationship between our agencies, and it does not go unnoticed by our members or our community."
CPPS officers are fully trained, sworn police officers equipped to investigate matters like this one from start to finish, the department said, and under the Order in Council that currently governs CPPS operations, certain aspects of criminal investigations require the involvement of the RCMP.
"We are grateful the relationship works as well as it does, and we remain committed to open conversations with our policing partners and the public about how CPPS can best serve the region moving forward," the CPPS said.
