The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added extra security for the Labour Day Classic due to an ongoing police manhunt in the province.
The team released the following statement ahead of kickoff for their annual rivalry game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, reassuring fans that the safety of the sold-out crowd at Mosaic Stadium was paramount.
“The Saskatchewan Roughriders, its security team, and REAL have been monitoring the ongoing dangerous persons alerts happening across Saskatchewan and are in regular contact with members of the Regina Police Service. As a result, additional members of law enforcement have been deployed across Mosaic Stadium and the surrounding area, including Coors Light Party in the Park. The Club operates a centralized command centre on game day that allows immediate connection to local emergency services and the ability receive up to the minute information when any sort of emergency occurs. In every situation, the Club works hard to provide the safest and most enjoyable game day possible. With that in mind, Fans attending the Labour Day Classic at Mosaic Stadium will see an increased presence of law enforcement on the Footprint.”
The increased police presence comes after Melfort RCMP issued a province-wide dangerous persons alert following a string of stabbings in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan.
10 people have been killed and another 15 hospitalized following stabbings in at least 13 separate locations in the surrounding area. The two suspects, Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson, remain at large and may have been spotted in the Arcola Avenue area of Regina at 11:20 a.m. local time.
The two men are believed to be travelling in a black Nissan Rogue with Saskatchewan licence plate 119 MPI. Regina residents have been advised to consider sheltering in place and not to approach suspicious persons.
