RCMP cleared by police watchdog in the death of man wanted in officer shooting

RCMP have been cleared in the death of Sheldon Thunderblanket, a man wanted in connection to a Saskatchewan homicide and for shooting a Revelstoke Mountie.

The Independent Investigation Office of B.C. or IIO has been looking into the case and has now ruled there is no casual connection between his death and the actions or inactions of police.

The incident, which happened earlier this month, closed the TransCanada for hours as police scoured the area looking for their suspect.

It began mid-afternoon as RCMP were conducting a road stop and check on Highway 1 near Golden.

Sheldon Kyle Thunderblanket is shown in this undated RCMP handout image. The search continues for the suspect wanted in connection with a series of events near Golden, BC on Tuesday, October 11th. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP

According to the IIO, a male driver got out of his vehicle and began to fire shots at an officer.
Officers returned fire striking Thunderblanket.

The officer, who has since been denitrified as Constable Amber Brunner was shot in the arm. She was flown to a Kelowna hospital and has since had reconstructive surgery on both her hand and arm.

No one knew at the time how badly the suspect had been injured.

The man fled on foot and hijacked another car at gun point before fleeing the scene.

He drove in the direction of Revelstoke and was found nine kilometres outside of the town.

A road block with spike belts was set up in hopes of stopping him but he drove through it, more shots were fired.
A total of eleven would be fired by officers stationed at the spike belt.

After he had evaded officers, the suspect then stopped the car, crossed a highway and ran down a steep embankment.
Officers tracking Thunderblanket deployed the K-9 unit.

Investigators wrapped up their search around midnight, setting up a containment around the forest.

Police returned to the area the next morning and found him dead in a river.

According to autopsy results, the suspect, whose been identified as Sheldon Thunderblanket, died as a result of head trauma consistent with a rock.

He also had a flesh wound in the forearm, believed to be from Constable Brunner’s 9 millimetre handgun.

In all, nine investigators were deployed to scenes in Golden and Revelstoke.

Civilian witnesses and witness officers were interviewed, physical evidence was obtained and they have looked at video evidence and radio transmissions.

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