HAY RIVER, N.W.T. _ The father of a 23-year-old Alberta man says he can't believe his son is wanted by police in the shooting death of a Mountie in Hay River, N.W.T.

Police said late Sunday night they have charged Emrah Bulatci with first-degree murder in the death of Const. Christopher Worden.

``I don't believe it,'' the suspect's father, Erdogan Bulatci, said Sunday. ``He has a baby, why is he going to do a thing like that?

``I don't think he would do such a thing.''

The father said in an interview with The Canadian Press he hasn't talked with or seen his son for more than a year.

``I don't talk to him for family reasons. . . it's sad but what can you do?'' he said from High Level, Alta.

Police say Emrah Bulatci may also be known as Justin Elise and his last known addresses include several locations in Edmonton and St. Albert, Alta.

Erdogan Bulatci said he thinks Emrah lives in Edmonton and his girlfriend had his baby three or four months ago. He said he didn't know what his son did for a living because they weren't close.

He also said police had not questioned him about his son.

Emrah Bulatci has blond hair, blue eyes, weighs about 135 pounds and is about five feet tall.

Police say Bulatci is ``associated'' with a grey 2004 Ford Expedition with Alberta licence plate LEC 010.

Police warned Bulatci may be armed and dangerous and said they believe he had left the Hay River area.

Mounties set up roadblocks on Saturday on the main highway in the hours after the shooting and were checking vehicles and passengers on the Yellowknife ferry. The roadblocks came down Sunday.

Worden, 30, of Ottawa, had been responding to a call for police assistance at a residence in Hay River at about 5 a.m. on Saturday when his radio went dead.

Two colleagues went looking for him and found him in a wooded area near a residence suffering from gunshot wounds. They rushed him to hospital, where he died.

He is survived by his wife Jody and an eight-month-old daughter Alexis.

A Facebook site set up to pay tribute to Worden had numerous entries.

Darnell McCurdy wrote: ``I was an Auxiliary RCMP officer and spend a lot of time with Chris. He was an exemplary human being, father, husband, and mentor.

``My heart is heavy with the news of Chris's untimely death but I am sure he has already taken his seat next to God.''

Brad Mathies of Kitchener, Ont., posted this: ``The real crime in all this is that his baby girl will never get to know that infectious smile and great man that he was. I hope when the judge is handing down the sentence that he takes into mind that little fact and really makes this animal pay.''

Residents of Hay River said they are in shock that something so terrible could happen in their midst.

Grieving residents marked Worden's death with prayers in the community's four churches.

Pastor Vivian Smith of the Anglican Church said prayers for Worden and his family began as soon as people heard of his death.

``The prayers are continuing and will continue. They are sombre services,'' Smith said on Sunday.

``It is supposed to be Thanksgiving Day for us but we don't feel like it is a day of Thanksgiving.''

Smith said the town of 3,600 is a close-knit community and Worden's death has affected people terribly. In a news release, RCMP said Worden's family had requested privacy ``as they come to grips with this tragedy.'' Funeral arrangements were pending.

Police would not say if Worden was working alone or release other details of their investigation, including where he was wounded or how many times he was shot.

Worden joined the Mounties in 2002 and served most of his career in the Northwest Territories.

© 2007 The Canadian Press