After a tense mid-morning and early afternoon in Fort Saskatchewan on Sunday, the mayor of the city, Gale Katchur, is thanking the Mounties for their hard work and thanking citizens for their cooperation and resolve during the RCMP’s shelter in place order for the Pineview area between 9:53 a.m. and 3:10 p.m.
The shelter in place was lifted once police arrested 32-year-old Trevor Chykerda without incident near 99 Ave and Highway 15 following a firearms complaint that originated at a residence near 95 A Avenue and 87 Street which promted the search for Chykerda, who police said was carrying two guns.
Mayor Katchur said the shelter in place orders are part of the city’s emergency management plan in coordination with police.
“I just want to take the time and thank the residents for following the directions because it’s so important to clear the streets to give the RCMP an opportunity to conduct a safe search for the individual,
“I would like to give the officers so much credit for how they conducted the search and for apprehending the individual without … anybody getting hurt,” Mayor Katchur said.
“We just have to thank the RCMP and all of their members for ensuring that [the] safety of our citizens is the number one priority and making sure that their officers are safe as well,” the mayor added.
Like everyone else, Mayor Katchur was sheltered in place as well.
“I was sheltered at home,” Mayor Katchur revealed. “I made sure that my family, who also lives in Fort Saskatchewan, were notified to make sure that, if they weren’t following social media or the radio, that they too made sure that they stayed home.”
The city of Fort Saskatchewan was updating their web page throughout the incident, and Mayor Katchur was responding to comments on social media sites, such as Facebook.
“Just to make sure we were getting information out as quickly and efficiently as possible, making sure that people have communication and information has to be a top priority because we want to make sure people know what’s going on.”
The RCMP is expected to issue an update about this file in the near future.
Below: Featured image of Mayor Gale Katchur provided by City of Fort Saskatchewan
