60-year-old man in custody after Moose Jaw standoff

More details are coming to light after the man with a gun in downtown Moose Jaw Sunday afternoon. 

Jack Raymond Keewatin, 60, is in custody after the standoff at the bottom of Main Street.

Sgt. Rick Johns with the Moose Jaw Police Service said the extremely rare incident ended well, given the circumstances. He added that, if police believed the gun was real, they could have used deadly force.

“Upon arriving at the scene, it was unknown if the firearm was real or not.” explained Johns. “The weapon was very similar, almost identical to an actual firearm but in short order, police were able to determine, thanks to people who were known to the suspect, that it was a pellet style gun.”

Video of the incident shows some difficulty with the K9 unit assisting in the arrest of the suspect. Johns says the handler used a short leash due to the amount of people in the area and the confusion that it could have caused. The commotion made it difficult for the dog to focus on the suspect. Officials will be reviewing the incident and tactics used so they can learn for the future.

So far, there has been no motive established for the standoff. No one was hurt, although there was a three-vehicle crash as drivers attempted to flee the scene. 

The Crown opposed Keewatin’s release and have set over his case until tomorrow when he will appear in court via video.