ESTEVAN - The provincial Serious Incident Response Team's (SIRT) investigation is ongoing into an incident that occurred in Estevan last fall.
SIRT launched the investigation after a shooting at the Estevan Police Service's building on Nov. 1, 2023, which was one of two separate but connected incidents that day which left a mother and her son dead and a member of the Estevan Police Service in hospital with a gunshot wound.
Police were called to an apartment in the 1200-block of Sixth Street for a report of a woman injured and bleeding. The woman, Karie Ann Guillas, age 46, later died from her injuries.
Officers arrested the woman's 19-year-old son, Justice Guillas, at the scene and he was transported to the police station. While he was being processed, an altercation took place between Justice Guillas and an EPS officer. Justice Guillas gained control of an EPS-issued firearm and shot the officer, who sustained a serious injury. A second EPS member discharged their service pistol, striking Justice Guillas, who later died in a Regina hospital.
The EPS officer who was shot, Sgt. Braden Lonsberry, was released from hospital two days after the incident and returned to active duty about a month later.
In an email to the Mercury and SaskToday, the Ministry of Justice said no additional information could be provided at this time, and the ministry is unable to provide a specific timeline for how long the investigation is expected to take.
"Pursuant to The Police Act, 1990, a public report will be issued within 90 days of the investigation ending," the ministry said.
The ministry went on to say SIRT's mandate is to independently investigate incidents where an individual has died or suffered serious injury arising from the actions of on and off-duty police officers, or while in the custody of police, as well as allegations of sexual assault or interpersonal violence involving police.
