'Let us do our jobs': RCMP respond to Sask. farmers taking up arms

Saskatchewan'sRCMPhavea message for farmers who are carrying firearms during harvestfollowing whatis thought to have been the attempted robbery of a farmhand by three armed, masked men.

"Let us do our jobs," saidRCMPSgt.EarlLeBlanc at a news conference on Wednesday, adding residents should not armthemselves "for their own protection or to protect others."

"We don't want to see people getting hurt."

His remarks follow an incidenton a rural road in west-central Saskatchewan that struck fear into the hearts of farmers in the area, leading some to arm themselves.

"Yesterday was eventful," said one,whosent CBCNews a photo of the huntingrifle he now keeps in the cab of his combine. The farmer asked to remain anonymous.

"I guarantee you, everyone is carrying out here now."

At around 11:40 a.m. CT on MondaytheRCMPwere called about three menwith masked faces,wearing sunglasses and driving a black SUV. They had approached a worker from a local farm as he drove along a rural road, near Fiske, Sask., about 146 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.

The men were out of their vehicle at the timeandapproached the truckon foot. Each was carrying a handgun, according to theRCMP.

The farmer who employs the worker said the manhas years of military experience in an Eastern Europeanwar zone and responded instinctively.

"He sees the gun, the face masks and balaclavas and he just accelerates and goes right at the guys in the middle of the road."

The farmer said his farmhand did not try to hit the armed men, but he did notstop or slow down.

The fear among farmers in the area, he told CBC,is relatednot just toyesterday's incident, but to what he describes as a rural crime spree in the area.

"There was an enormous amount of break and enters in the town of Rosetown and around the town of Rosetown over the weekend," he said.

RCMPofficers saidthey are looking intoseveral farmers' reports ofproperty thefts in the areaover the past few days.

However,Sgt. LeBlanc didn't have specific numbers on Wednesday.

"I can reassure you that we actually deal with any situation that comes forward and any person who reports a crime that we will investigate it accordingly," he said.

"We're aware that individuals will carry some firearms out for hunting reasons, or even farming reasons, but what we don't want people to do is to carry them for their own protection or for what they feel that is to protect others," he said.

He added that guns "must be properly secured, stowed, and used in accordance with the Criminal Code of Canada."

Massive manhunt

RCMP detachments fromRosetown, Kindersley, Eston, Kerrobert, Biggar, Swift Current rural and North Battleford rural as well as the Swift Current police and volunteers flying planes responded to yesterday's incidentand continue to search for the armed men and the black SUV.

"They asked if I'd be willing to help them in a search," said Colin Bevan, who runs Kindersley Air Spray. He flew acrop duster over the area yesterday afternoon, to search for the SUV.

"We seen one vehicle that looked very suspicious and suspect, and probably came down within 500 feet," said Bevan."As it turned out it was not the suspects' vehicle, but it matched that description."

'Seems a bit surreal'

Schools in dozens of rural areas were placed on what police call "a hold and secure" state as a precaution yesterday.

More than half a dozen other farmers have sent CBC photos of the firearms they are now keeping in the cabs of their trucks and farm machinery. A number of farmers say it takes the RCMP between 30 minutes and a hour to reach them in an emergency.

"Seems a little surreal," said Bevan. "Myquestion is,whatwere [the armed men]intending to do because there's just notmuchout there."

With the men still at large, he wasnot surprised farmers in west-central Saskatchewan now feel leeryas theyharvesttheir crops.

"I think a lot of people are apprehensive and are taking measures to make sure they're not caught off-guard or by surprise," he said.

TheRCMPare askinganyone with information to call their localdetachment. They urge people not to directlyapproach themen, who may be armed.