Police chief comments on dangerous person alert

Moose Jaw Police Chief Rick Bourassa spoke publicly for the first time about issuing a dangerous person alert on the night of Oct. 21. 

Bourassa’s comments came at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting last week. 

The incident took place when the Moose Jaw Police Service learned of firearms at a home located in the 800 block of Fourth Avenue Northwest and a search warrant was obtained. 

Moose Jaw police as well as the Regina Tactical Unit were dispatched to the scene, where an individual left the residence and fired a handgun at police before fleeing the scene. 

“A big part of this is the tactical capabilities that we have, but also to commend our members on their diligence and their thoroughness and the reduction of harm even though a shot was fired at them,” Bourassa said. 

At 10:24 p.m. that evening, a dangerous person alert went across phones and over the radio letting residents know a dangerous person was on the loose. 

Bourassa explained a little bit about why he made the call to issue the alert. He says they don’t like to do it, but is sometimes necessary. 

“When there appeared to be a threat that had moved itself outside of our ability to contain it immediately. We notified the community because we had potentially an individual armed with a gun who had already shot,” he said. 

Shortly after the alert was put out, Jirard Saddleback, 32, of Calgary was located in a backyard on Ross Street West and, with the help of crisis negotiators, was arrested. 

Saddleback was wanted at the time on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large out of Calgary. 

He is now facing several charges including attempted murder, possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of proceeds of crime.