A member of the Craik RCMP detachment shot and killed a 42-year-old male last Wednesday while attending an unspecified criminal code investigation at a residence in Holdfast.

The officer went to the residence at approximately 10 p.m. and while there he and the resident of the home got into a physical altercation. During the fight the Craik RCMP member shot the resident, who died at the scene.

Later that night the RCMP requested the Regina Police Service conduct an independent external investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discharge of the firearm and the death of the Holdfast resident.

Sgt. Craig Cleary, a media relation’s officer with the RCMP, said requesting an independent external investigation is common in a “tragic incident” such as this and is done in the name of transparency and accountability. He said this ensures the investigation into the incident is done at arms length from the RCMP.

With the “Regina Police Service entering the investigation as an independent external investigation, they will look into why we were there and what happened,” said Cleary.

The Regina Police Service will be in charge of both the pre- and post-charge phases of the investigation and will report their results to the provincial Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General.

In addition to the independent external investigation, the RCMP has requested the Ministry of Justice appoint an independent observer.

Cleary said he couldn’t release any more information about the incident while the Regina Police Service investigation is ongoing.