Man surrenders after five-hour standoff
Steven Hill
[email protected]
樱桃视频RCMP blocked off two residential blocks in Dentville for five hours Thursday (June 2) after receiving a report of a man allegedly acting in a threatening manner with a firearm.
RCMP cruisers and spike belts blocked off access to Britannia Avenue at Madill Street and surrounding streets after they receiving a cell phone call from a woman.
"At about 9:24 a.m. today we received a call from a female who reported she had just left an apartment and one of the men had a weapon of some sort and was acting threateningly," said Cpl. D. Ritchie of the 樱桃视频RCMP Detachment.
As RCMP units moved in to surround the house, neighbouring residents were evacuated or asked to remain inside their homes.
"It is my day off today," said Sat Bisla, who lives on Britannia Avenue. "I had hoped to cut my lawn today, but with police surrounding the house across the street, I can only stay inside and watch TV."
Emergency Response Teams (ERT) from Vancouver were flown in by helicopter and an explosives team was dispatched to the scene along with police dogs.
"The explosives team is just here to take down doors if necessary," said Ritchie.
As tense hours passed, two more people emerged from the house, who were quickly ushered away from the scene.
"At 11:30 a.m., two men managed to evacuate themselves from the basement suite and we took them in for questioning," said Ritchie. "They didn't even seem to be aware that we had been outside all this time. They told us there was still a woman in the suite with the man.
The woman emerged from the side of the residence, accompanied by two RCMP members, at about 1 p.m., but, according to Ritchie, she had a different story.
"The woman who had been in the house with the man said he did not have a firearm, but that is in contradiction to the other reports we have received thus far," said Ritchie.
Police also disclosed there was an elderly woman in the upstairs suite of the house and called in an interpreter to communicate with her.
At 1:40 p.m. black-clad ERT personnel approached the house from behind a large shield, guns drawn, and evacuated the elderly woman, who appeared to be unable to walk.
"Now that we think the house is clear except for the suspect, time is on our side," said Ritchie. "We can wait him out, if we choose."
Finally, at 2:20 p.m., after establishing contact with the suspect via loudspeakers, he was escorted out of the house by two ERT personnel without incident.
RCMP confirmed that the man is employed at an industrial business in the 樱桃视频Business Park.
They would not confirm his name but RCMP negotiators were heard calling the man "Frank" on a loudspeaker.
No charges were confirmed as of press time Thursday.
