The Standoff
On August 18, 1995, Emergency Response Team (ERT) members were discovered on the site's perimeter and shot at by occupiers who felt an RCMP invasion was imminent. The RCMP continued to negotiate with the occupiers through local elected leadership and, then, national Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Grand Chief Ovide Mercredi without success. On September 11, RCMP detonated an "early warning device" in an access road to the camp which disabled (broke the front axle) a truck being driven by occupiers. The incident resulted in a firefight that made use of the military-loaned Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs). Non-indigenous occupier Suniva Bronson was shot in the arm during the shootout and would be the only injury in the extensive exchange of bullets. On the following day an unarmed man crossing a field designated as a no-shoot zone was shot at by police sharp shooters. Police later admitted to this mistake. The standoff ended peacefully on September 17 when the few remaining occupiers left the site under the guidance of medicine man John Stevens.
Read more about this topic: Gustafsen Lake Standoff