Accused in Whitehorse shootout remains in coma

Police vehicles and tape cordon off a home in Porter Creek after a shooting that left the suspect and one RCMP officer wounded. Sheldon Keobke, 35, faces 15 charges in connection with the incident. (Virginie Ann/CBC - image credit)
Police vehicles and tape cordon off a home in Porter Creek after a shooting that left the suspect and one RCMP officer wounded. Sheldon Keobke, 35, faces 15 charges in connection with the incident. (Virginie Ann/CBC - image credit)

Court proceedings are on hold for the man arrested after a Whitehorse shooting that left the accused and one RCMP officer seriously wounded.

Sheldon Keobke, 35, faces 15 charges, including attempted murder and drug and weapons charges, in connection with the incident.

He was scheduled to appear at a bail hearing in Whitehorse territorial court Thursday, but he remains in a medically-induced coma, said Crown lawyer Noel Sinclair. Keobke is listed in serious but stable condition and is scheduled to undergo several surgeries over the next month.

Defence lawyer Jennifer Budgell agreed to a Crown motion to have Keobke held in remand until he can participate in court proceedings. She told court she has yet to get instructions from her client. The case will be held over until early November.

Police were serving a warrant on Keobke's Porter Creek property last week when both he and an RCMP officer were shot.

The officer also sustained serious injuries during the shootout, police said last week. Whitehorse RCMP didn't immediately respond to a request for an update on the officer's condition. The officer has not been identified publicly.

The exact series of events still isn't clear. But the incident is also under investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), which looks into deaths and serious injuries involving police.