A 37-year-old woman pleaded guilty to shooting at an Onion Lake RCMP officer during a high-speed chase on New Year’s Day.
Glynnis Chief appeared in Lloydminster Provincial Court by CCTV from Pine Grove Correctional Centre for women in Prince Albert on June 2. She pleaded guilty to with intent to endanger the life of an RCMP officer, or prevent arrest, did discharge a firearm at RCMP. The remaining charges were dropped, including being an occupant of a vehicle knowing there was a firearm, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of a prohibited weapon, and assault of a police officer with a weapon.
She will be sentenced on July 7.
Chief, along with Twaine Derek Buffalo-Naistus, Danny Lee Weeseekase, Tyler Ryan Wolfe, and Melissa Lee McAlpine were arrested after a pursuit on Onion Lake Cree Nation Jan. 1, 2021.
In April, Wolfe was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of discharging a firearm, not stopping a vehicle while being pursued, and driving in a dangerous manner.
In May, Weeseekase was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison for shooting at RCMP during the pursuit.
In May, McAlpine pleaded guilty to being an occupant of a vehicle knowing there was a firearm and was given a nine-month conditional sentence.
Parts of an RCMP victim impact statement were read into Lloydminster Provincial Court in April during Wolfe’s sentencing hearing.
“I was convinced that day it was only a matter of time until the accused’s SUV or bullets killed someone,” said RCMP Const. Jacob Isaac who was involved in the pursuit on Onion Lake Cree Nation Jan. 1, 2021.
“This was a feeling very few will experience and was a heavy burden on all of us to accept that we had to potentially die trying to stop this out-of-control threat to society.
“I can remember hearing the updates on the radio as we all pursued and I think to myself ‘how do we stop this before someone dies?’ As various scenarios ran through my head on how to stop them, very few had the likelihood of coming out uninjured or (not) killed,” said Const. Isaac. “I’m confident my co-workers had the same gut wrenching thoughts.”
Onion Lake Cree Nation has been battling gang activity and declared a state of emergency in January 2020 after a string of drug and gang-related violence threatened the safety of its residents.
If you are associated with a gang and want to leave it, contact STR8 UP in northern Saskatchewan at 306-763-3001, STR8 UP in central Saskatchewan at 306-244-1771, or Regina Treaty Status Indian Services in southern Saskatchewan at 306-522-7494 to get assistance.
Onion Lake Cree Nation borders the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and is located about 50 kilometres north of Lloydminster.
