A photo of the camp where Ponch Bird lived. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Fatal altercation at Prince Albert homeless camp results in 11 year prison sentence

Sep 12, 2024 | 2:00 PM

Just over a year after the protector of a homeless camp in Prince Albert was shot and killed, the person responsible has received an 11 year prison sentence.

Garrisen Clarke, 19, appeared Monday at provincial court. Guilty pleas to manslaughter and discharging a gun with intent to wound, were entered last July.

The homeless camp was located in the 300 block of 18th St. W. According to the agreed statement of facts, Clarke, his mother Loni McCuaig and a third person, were on bicycles and went to the small tented community.

McCuaig was in possession of bear spray and Clarke had a sawed off .22 calibre firearm with ammunition.

An occupant of the camp was sprayed by McCuaig, who then retreated further into the small tented community. McCuaig followed and proceeded to spray several other people.

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Ponch Bird, who was known as a protector of the camp, stepped in and asked the intruders to leave.

Clarke then pointed the gun at Bird and threatened to shoot him in the leg. When Bird advanced on Clarke, he was then shot in the chest.

Clarke also fired a second shot at the initial person who had been bear sprayed, but missed.

Ponch Bird. (Facebook)

Clarke and his mother then fled the area and Bird was transported to hospital where he died. The bullet had struck him in the heart.

Loni McCuaig was arrested the following month and sentenced last December. She received a 12 month suspended sentence for assault with a weapon (bear spray). This meant as long as she obeyed a number of conditions, she could serve her conditions in the community.

At the time of the incident, an eye witness who had known Bird for 20 years, told paNOW his friend ‘never had a beef with anyone’ and was the type of person who would give people the shirt off his back.

The witness had also noted the person who was initially sprayed, had allegedly scammed some other people and was seeking refuge.

A family member who confirmed Bird had connections to the Montreal Lake area, said he became homeless a few months prior, but always took care of his cousins out on the streets.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell