‘So much trauma:’ Man pleads guilty in death of Sask. Mountie

A picture of Shelby Patton, wearing the red serge and stetson and a wide grin on his face, looked out over a King’s Bench courtroom for some of the proceedings Wednesday as lawyers explained a guilty plea and detailed how Patton died.

Alphonse Traverse entered a guilty plea to manslaughter in Patton’s death; the Winnipeg man originally was charged with first-degree murder. Traverse also pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft of a motor vehicle.

Lawyers read out the statement of facts in the case that both sides had agreed to.

Traverse and a woman, Marlene Pagee, stole a truck that day in June of 2021 and left Winnipeg. They got lost south of the town of Virden and stole another truck. Then they got on the Trans-Canada Highway and headed to Saskatchewan.

Court heard the two had addictions issues with crystal meth and gambling. At the time, bars were closed in Manitoba under COVID-19 pandemic rules, so they were going to Saskatchewan to play VLTs.

They stopped in Wolseley and the owner of the stolen truck, who had been tracking it using the vehicle’s GPS, told the RCMP where they were.

Patton was called in and responded to the stolen truck report in Wolseley before his scheduled shift even started.

Const. Shelby Patton died in June of 2021 after he was struck and killed by a stolen truck in Wolseley. (RCMP/X)

He rolled through town in his marked RCMP vehicle and came up behind the stolen truck. Traverse pulled out and then stopped in the street for Patton.

According to the facts read out in court, Traverse was on an undertaking in Manitoba and wasn’t supposed to leave that province. He told Pagee he didn’t want to be arrested.

Dashcam video from Patton’s vehicle was shown in court.

Patton came up to the truck and spoke with Traverse. When the Mountie asked Traverse to get out, Traverse started the truck and drove off; at the same time, Patton had stepped up onto the truck’s running board and reached inside to try to stop the truck from being turned on.

Traverse stepped on the gas and accelerated into the intersection ahead, turning left.

Patton hung on for a few seconds, but then fell off the truck and was run over by the back wheels of the truck.

Court heard Traverse sped out of town and down secondary highways while bystanders tried to give Patton CPR until first responders came. Patton died nearly instantly after being run over.

Traverse and Pagee were arrested around 90 kilometres away, near Francis, after they tried to steal another truck but the owner followed them. The truck they already had then got stuck in mud and they walked away. Officers found them soon after.

Traverse stared at the floor in the courtroom for much of the proceedings Wednesday, wiping away tears as lawyers got to Patton’s death. Traverse also fought off tears when the judge asked him about his plea and acknowledging that he caused Patton’s death.

Pagee was charged with accessory after the fact to murder, and her matters are still making their way through court.

Traverse is to be sentenced at the end of February. On Wednesday, the Crown prosecutor said he was collecting victim impact statements and community impact statements ahead of the sentencing submissions. Traverse’s lawyer said he would be asking for a pre-sentence report that would include a report on Gladue factors.

Wolseley has since paid tribute to Patton, with people lining the streets and wearing red when his body was returned to the town soon after he died. People in nearby Indian Head, where Patton’s was stationed, also praised the young Mountie.

In August of 2022, a park dedicated to Patton’s memory opened in Indian Head.

Patton’s family

Members of Patton’s family were in the courtroom Wednesday as the plea and facts of the case were read out. Patton’s mother, Melanie Patton, said it was difficult.

“Even though (Traverse) pled guilty, there is just so much trauma that’s happened to the family. It’s very hard to bounce back from that, and we never will,” she said.

Melanie said her son was a good police officer, and said his death was not an accident and it wasn’t a mistake.

Melanie has become an advocate for officer safety, saying there’s a crisis in the RCMP, and for repeat offenders to be kept behind bars.