A man from Yukon involved in a confrontation with a police officer in Whitehorse has been handed a 10-year and six-month prison term. Sheldon Keobke admitted guilt to six charges, including an attack on a police constable, possession of a prohibited weapon, and having fentanyl and cocaine for trafficking purposes.
During the sentencing session on August 13, both the prosecution and defense proposed a joint submission requesting a 10.5-year sentence for Keobke. The judge at the Yukon territorial court approved the submission, which includes a lifelong ban on possessing weapons.
Following credit for time already served, Keobke is left with four years and 10 months of imprisonment. The shootout involving Keobke took place near a residence in Porter Creek in September 2022.
As per the agreed-upon facts, on September 28, 2022, a police team arrived at a house in Porter Creek to arrest Keobke for violating release orders. Keobke attempted to escape in a vehicle and tried to reverse out of the driveway to evade arrest, but police blocked his path. Upon exiting the vehicle, Keobke attempted to flee on foot, prompting an officer to pursue him, commanding Keobke to stop and lie down.
Keobke sought cover. When the officer observed what appeared to be a firearm in Keobke’s possession, he discharged his weapon, firing about 10 rounds in five seconds. Keobke also fired, injuring the officer in the leg. Both individuals received medical treatment for their gunshot wounds.
The court learned that Keobke sustained various injuries, including fractures to his shoulder and hand, and a liver tear. He underwent numerous surgeries in Whitehorse and Vancouver, resulting in lasting impairments. When attempting to escape, Keobke threw a fanny pack over a fence where law enforcement later discovered carfentanil, cocaine, and over $10,000 in cash.
Additionally, Keobke confessed to assaulting an inmate at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre in a separate incident last year. Following the sentencing on August 13, the National Police Federation criticized the leniency of the sentence, deeming it “frustrating and unacceptable.” Britt Bancroft, the Federation’s Pacific/North Board Director, accused the court of being too forgiving towards Keobke.