RCMP shooting suspect hoped to surrender before arrest
Written by on February 10th, 2012 in Latest News.
The man wanted by RCMP in the shooting of two officers earlier this week was about to turn himself in when police, eavesdropping on his phone call to his parents, arrested him first, his best friend told CBC News on Friday.
Sawyer Robison, 27, called his parents from a phone at a gas plant south of Sedgewick, Alta., at 3 a.m. Friday, just 15 kilometres from where the shooting took place, at a Killam-area home, said Graham Burden.
Burden said Robison’s father, Ray Robison, told his son, “”You know, you’re gonna have to submit.’ And Sawyer, he agreed to that.”
“I’m so proud of him for doing that,” he said. “I didn’t reckon he would. I didn’t reckon that I’d see him for 10 years, honestly.”
Robison’s parents, Carol Clarke and Ray Robison, wanting to avoid a standoff, were on their way to pick up Robison and take him to the RCMP detachment in Killam, Burden said.
But, police were listening in on the call and arrived at the gas plant ahead of Robison’s parents, where they arrested him, said Burden.
Burden said Clarke called him at 5:45 a.m.
“She sounded finally so relieved,” said Burden. “You know, it’s been such a tremendously stressful couple of days. I was just so glad for her. The relief is, it’s incredible.”
Burden said he too was relieved Robison was arrested without incident.
“Everybody that knows Sawyer knows that he won’t back down from something where he believes he’s in the right,” he said. “He won’t just lay down and place his hands behind his back.”
Robison faces two charges of attempted murder in the shooting Tuesday of two officers from the Killam detachment.
Const. Sheldon Shah and Const. Sidney Gaudette, were shot while they were with two other officers to do a search warrant at the home for a .45-calibre handgun owned by Robison.
Shah and Gaudette are recovering in Edmonton hospitals with non-life-threatening wounds.
“I reckon certainly the people of Killam wanted this resolved peacefully, without further incident,” said RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb.
“They got their wish,” he said. “They can now go back and just be peaceful in their community again.”
Killam Mayor Bud James called the arrest excellent news.
“This has been very disturbing and unsetting for our area, and I know our citizens will be relieved at this turn of events,” he said.
“I’m sure this has been incredibly stressful on Mr. Robison’s family as well, so this is also excellent news for them.”
Police believe Robison was in the house at the time of the shooting and left before the house was surrounded by tactical units.
On Thursday, Burden and Robison’s parents questioned Robison to turn himself in — with his father urging him to “swallow your hurt” and come home.
