'It was scary': local resident describes tense situation in Onanole

Officer shot responding to break-in call Sarah Plowman reports from the residence where a Manitoba RCMP officer was responding to a break in leading to him being shot.

Meg Hutchings heard the first RCMP cruiser roar with sirens past her home along Highway 10 in Onanole, Man., at around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday night followed by a second car.

“And then they kept coming,” Hutchings told CTV Winnipeg via phone from her home in the western Manitoba town.

“It was scary. It was dark. We kept all the lights off.”

Shortly after midnight the Manitoba RCMP tweeted a message that officers responded to a serious incident near Onanole and people should expect a heavy police presence and to avoid the area.

RCMP said early Thursday morning an officer was shot, sustained serious injuries and remained in hospital.

A manhunt followed the shooting in the overnight hours for two to three suspects who may have split up, some possibly driving a Black 2005 GMC Sierra with a Manitoba license plate GBX 476.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning the Mounties said three suspects in connection with the shooting were in custody. About an hour later police said a fourth suspect is still at large.

Hutchings said she and her husband saw heavily armed police at a road block near their home overnight — something Hutchings described as rare for the community.

Onanole is located in the R.M. of Harrison Park near Riding Mountain National Park. The municipality has a population of around 1,600 people according to the latest census.

Hutchings said her three kids slept through the ordeal.

People expressed relief via social media Thursday morning that suspects had been taken into custody.

The search continues to look for the fourth suspect.