Man charged in hit and run that injured RCMP officer

REGINA — RCMP have charged a man with a hit and run incident that injured one officer and another person.

Blake Wahl, 30, of the Rural Municipality of Pense was arrested Tuesday. He is charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Meanwhile, the injured RCMP officer, 42-year-old Const. Keith Bennett, continues to recover in hospital.

“While he has come a long way in the month since the incident, he has a long road to a full recovery,” read a statement provided by Bennett’s family on Wednesday.

“His spirits are high and he looks forward to the time when he can return home to his family and return to the job he loves.”

The RCMP wouldn’t provide any further updates on Bennett’s condition.

In the early hours of Oct. 19, three White Butte detachment RCMP officers were placing a 56-year-old man under arrest near an event centre on Sherwood Forest Road about nine kilometres

“WHILE HE HAS A LONG ROAD TO A FULL RECOVERY. HIS SPIRITS ARE HIGH AND HE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN HE CAN RETURN HOME TO HIS FAMILY AND RETURN TO THE JOB HE

LOVES.”

BENNET FAMILY STATEMENT

west of Regina. An SUV driving along the road hit Bennett and the man who was being detained.

RCMP tried to stop the vehicle, shooting at it. The SUV slowed, then drove away.

Bennett suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and damage to his internal organs. The arrested man’s injuries were described at the time as nonlife-threatening. A second RCMP officer sustained minor injuries.

Later that day, RCMP seized the vehicle believed to be involved in the incident from Wahl’s property. The investigation that followed involved upwards of 50 interviews, said RCMP spokeswoman Mandy Maier.

“Investigation has revealed that Wahl is not the registered owner of the vehicle seized and believed to have been involved in the hit and run incident,” RCMP said in a release.

“Investigators have determined that the vehicle was not stolen at the time of the collision.”

The man being arrested at the time of the hit and run has not been charged and is out of hospital, Maier said.

An internal RCMP investigation is being conducted into the use firearms in the incident.

Wahl was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Jan. 21. Maier said consultation with the Crown might identify further Criminal Code violations.