FOUR RCMP SHOT, KILLED IN DRUG RAID

Officers Were Investigating Grow-Op on Farm in Northwestern Alberta

ROCHFORT BRIDGE (CP) -- Four Alberta RCMP officers were shot and
killed during an investigation into a marijuana grow operation
Thursday in the worst single case of police deaths in Canada in 120
years.

"It's my sad duty to inform you that four members of the RCMP were
killed today in the line of duty -- four brave, young members," said
assistant commissioner Bill Sweeney, commanding officer of the RCMP in
Alberta.

"We're all in terrible shock and mourning."

RCMP spokesman Cpl. Wayne Oakes said the four officers were at a
quonset shed on a farm near the village of Rochfort Bridge in
northwestern Alberta when they were shot by a suspect, who was also
found in the shed. Oakes said he was known to police, but he would not
say if the man had a criminal record.

A government source told The Canadian Press the suspect killed himself
after shooting the officers.

"He just cut them down," the source said.

It was not immediately clear if the suspect killed himself right away.
The source said he may have shot at other officers on the scene first.

Oakes said emergency responders went into the shed and found the dead
officers. Several other Mounties on the property were able to get
behind cover.

"The loss of four police officers is unprecedented in recent history,"
Sweeney said. "I'm told you have to go back to about 1885 in the RCMP
history during the Northwest Rebellion to have a loss of this magnitude.

"It's devastating."

The killings touched off shockwaves across Canada.

Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan quickly held a news conference to
say she will consider tougher penalties for grow operations in the
proposed marijuana decriminalization bill.

Prime Minister Paul Martin called it an act of "brutality" and offered
his condolences to the families of the slain officers.

RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli called it "an unprecedented and
unspeakable loss."

He said the officers went to work Thursday, not knowing they "would be
asked to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Sweeney said the four officers were junior members -- three from the
Mayerthorpe detachment, the other from nearby Whitecourt. He said
names would not be released until family members were notified.

Sweeney said he couldn't give details on what happened until all the
facts were gathered.

Alberta Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko said he and Sweeney were to
meet with the families of the dead.

There had been confusion all day about the fate of the officers after
the first reports shots were fired at a farm near Rochfort Bridge, a
village of about 60 people. A lack of information initially led to
conflicting reports about what happened.

Cenaiko had told reporters four officers were not responding to their
radios and referred to "a very serious situation."