A man believed to be in his 50s is in stable condition in hospital after being shot by RCMP officers following a lengthy high-speed chase in rural Saskatchewan.

Police say they fired three shots at a man who wouldn't drop his knife.

Witness John Vargo said he first heard sirens and saw dust flying as cruisers chased a truck down a dirt road near the local garbage dump. He said police officers told a man who was walking into a field with a knife in his hand to drop the weapon.

As he was leaving the scene, he heard gunshots, Vargo said.

RCMP say the shooting occurred this morning near the hamlet of Mayfair, about 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

Police say the pursuit actually began in Spiritwood, 80 kilometres to the north, after officers responded to a complaint of an erratic driver in town.