The killing of four RCMP officers in a single incident was the worst multiple-officer slaying in modern Canadian history.
Key Facts
- Officers killed
- 4 RCMP constables
- Perpetrator
- James Roszko (died by suicide)
- Location
- ~11 km north of Rochfort Bridge, Alberta
- Warrant type
- Stolen property and marijuana operation
- Accomplices convicted
- Shawn Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman (manslaughter)
- Previous comparable RCMP loss
- Five officers drowned, June 7, 1958
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
RCMP officers arrived at James Roszko's farm near Mayerthorpe, Alberta, to execute a search warrant related to stolen property and an illegal marijuana-growing operation. Roszko, a known violent offender, had vacated the property but was secretly returned to the farm with the assistance of two acquaintances, Shawn Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman.
On March 3, 2005, Roszko ambushed and shot four RCMP constables — Anthony Gordon, Lionide Johnston, Brock Myrol, and Peter Schiemann — killing all of them. He then turned the weapon on himself and committed suicide. The attack constituted the deadliest single-day loss of RCMP officers since 1958.
Hennessey and Cheeseman were later prosecuted and pleaded guilty to manslaughter for facilitating Roszko's return to the farm. The tragedy prompted national mourning and renewed debate in Canada about rural policing risks, officer safety, and the dangers posed by individuals with extensive criminal histories.