Const. Sid Gaudette, a former Lethbridge College criminal justice student, and Const. Sheldon Shah are currently recovering from gunshot wounds to the torso in an incident that took place in Killam, southeast of Edmonton.

A 27-year-old man has been arrested on two charges of attempted murder, following the shooting of the two RCMP officers on Feb. 7 in Killam, Alta.

Bruce MacDonald, criminal justice instructor at the college and former RCMP officer, says that even when officers are fully prepared and taking every precaution, there are still risks involved when dealing with first-response situations. The incident in Killam was no exception.

“You just can’t prepare for every eventuality. There were four members there, the sergeant was supervising it, but as much as you prepare, things happen,” says MacDonald. “All the best-laid plans in the world can go awry in a heartbeat.”

The criminal justice program, as well as on-the-job training, prepares future police officers to deal with a variety of situations that could be dangerous.

During his 15 years at Lethbridge College, MacDonald, along with criminal justice instructor Ken Taylor, developed a course called Preliminary Response. The course prepares students for first-response situations such as accident investigation, barricaded persons and hostage situations.

MacDonald says that although students graduate from the program fully aware of the risks that go along with the job, it can still be shocking when something actually goes wrong, especially when it’s so close to home.

“To say they are prepared to get shot . . . no, they aren’t. It’s pretty traumatic for all of us, obviously for the members of the family, but we are a pretty big network.

“It bothers you,” says MacDonald, “because you’ve been there and you were in those circumstances.”

Recent comments from some citizens of Killam show that both Shah and Gaudette are well-liked and active in the community. MacDonald says that he has known Gaudette since he was a teenager.

“He was a good student, very personable, very likable young guy. I met him before he came to college. His dad and I were good friends.”

MacDonald got to know Gaudette’s father, James, during his 28 years with the RCMP. James Gaudette was stationed in Canmore while MacDonald was stationed nearby in Banff. They later worked together in Lethbridge.

MacDonald says that it’s common for students with parents in the RCMP to feel obligated to follow their parents’ career path, but that it doesn’t always work out for them.

“We have others like Sid who followed his dad’s footsteps and joined the RCMP, now he’s got five years service in Killam,” says MacDonald. “I’ve golfed with him a couple of times. He’s one of those guys you just can’t help but like.”

Both Shah and Gaudette, who are in an Edmonton hospital, are expected to make a full recovery.