EDMONTON — RCMP have charged two men after an Alberta sheriff was shot in the hand at a court house.
Witnesses have said the sheriff was one of two guards transporting two prisoners Tuesday morning who were in custody following a drug bust.
There was a scuffle in a hallway and witnesses heard two or three shots.
Two men were spotted fleeing in a prisoner transport van, but were arrested within the hour at a rural home near Whitecourt.
Clayton Ness, 29, and Jake MacIntyre, 22, both of Whitecourt, face aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, escape from lawful custody and other charges.
They were being held in custody and are to appear in provincial court on March 12.
Alberta Solicitor General Jonathan Denis said Wednesday there will be a review of security at the courthouse in the community about 200 km northwest of Edmonton.
“We will have our own internal investigation to see what could have been done, if anything, to prevent this casualty,” he said.
Denis said he spoke to the wounded sheriff, who is in hospital in Edmonton waiting for surgery on his hand.
The minister declined to discuss specifics of what happened because the matter is still under police investigation.