Police have shot and killed a man at the centre of a 30-hour standoff that forced area residents out of their homes and put the lives of citizens and police at risk.
At around 8:30 p.m., Calgary police said the situation in the 300 block of Penswood Way SE escalated and required the use of firearms by police to resolve the matter and the man was declared dead at the scene. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been notified and has begun its investigation into the incident.
The execution of a Calgary Police Service search warrant during the afternoon of March 14, turned into a long standoff and lockdown for some residents of Penbrooke Meadows. Those residents were allowed back home late Friday evening.
“The actions of one individual, with a history of weapons offences, put our community and our officers at substantial risk of harm,” said Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld.
“I am exceptionally proud of the professionalism, bravery and patience demonstrated by our officers, and exceptionally thankful to the Penbrooke Meadows residents and Calgarians at large for their patience and co-operation throughout this lengthy event.”
Calgary police are asking homeowners to inspect their property for damage that may be related to the incident, if they notice any, they can contact police at 403-266-1234. They said that officers would be responding to all affected homes on March 16.
“Over the next few days there will continue to be a heavy police presence in the area but we are working to mitigate any interruptions that you will see in your community,” Chief Neufeld said.
Neufeld confirmed that initial responding officers were executing a search warrant looking for firearms, so there were have been weapons charges. Given what happened when they attended the home, he said they also began an attempted murder investigation.
“This is an unfortunate outcome, but our top priority was always the safety of the community,” Chief Neufeld said.
“We’ve made every effort to bring this to a safe and peaceful conclusion and have employed numerous tactics and resources over the duration of this prolonged event.”
How the event unfolded
The event began Thursday, when Calgary Police were allegedly shot at, at around 3 p.m. while trying to search a home on the 300 block of Penswood Way SE, leading to shelter-in-place orders along with resident evacuations from surrounding homes.
The search warrant was related to firearms, by the firearms investigation team.
Superintendent Joe Brar with the Calgary Police Service Operational Support Division, said that for tactical operation reasons, the Service couldn’t share specific details as the incident unfolded, and there was a continued and significant threat to the public.
“Although I cannot provide additional details, as the event remains dynamic and evolving, what I can say is this event continues to present a significant threat to public and officer safety while this risk remains,” Supt. Brar said.
“The Calgary Police Service is well equipped and trained to deal with these types of situations. We have a lot of professionals on this event that are working to bring this to a peaceful resolution.”
Brar at an afternoon media availability, said that the Calgary Police Service had attempted to use non-lethal tactics to engage with the suspect—including loudspeakers to speak to them.
“Our crisis negotiation team, who are experts and professionally trained in this field are engaged with him,” Brar said.
He said that there was no definitive timeline to end the incident, and that it remained dangerous as of Friday evening.
“The suspect is actively shooting at the Calgary Police Service.”
Supt. Brar said that the service would be implementing a red zone around the incident site to further protect the public.
Mutual aid provided by RCMP
Alberta RCMP officers responded to a mutual aid request by the Calgary Police Service overnight, to provide relief for Calgary Police Service tactical unit officers.
“Although we have equipment, there’s humans operating it, and we do need to change them out. We called in the RCMP for their assistance, and it’s a very normal practice,” said Supt. Brar.
Calgary Firefighters, AHS EMS tactical paramedics, and Enmax and ATCO Gas employees were also present on Memorial Drive to assist CPS.
He said that although CPS wasn’t able to release the numbers of officers involved, the numbers were in the “dozens and dozens.”
Several roads remained closed in the community on Friday morning, including sections of Memorial Drive past 52 Street SE to 68 Street SE.
“We’ve tried to limit the number of people impacted but we’d rather be safe.”
The Calgary Emergency Management Agency opened an information centre at the Village Square Leisure Centre for those affected by the ongoing incident, providing in addition to information and emotional support services for residents, snacks, water, showers, and phone charging.
Threat serious, but contained
Brar asked that residents in the surrounding area respect the orders to shelter in place, and that if supports were needed in any way, that CPS and the City of Calgary are ready to provide that support.
“If you’re a resident of Penbrooke, please reach out to us if you need any assistance. For all those individuals that may require further support or days to come, we have a very well-equipped victims assistance team who are available for support.
“If you are in need of any kind of assistance for medical, or you had travel plans, or something along those lines and you need access to your residence or you’re trapped in your residence, we ask that you immediately call the non emergency line at 403-266-1234.”
As for the seriousness of the threat, Brar said that danger was “a real threat of death or grievous bodily harm.”
He said that CPS has done its best to balance the need to protect human lives, but recognized that the closures and shelter-in-place orders were affecting commuters, residents, and local businesses.
“If it wasn’t necessary, we wouldn’t do it. It’s necessary to protect officers and the public. It’s for their own safety, and that’s why I’m asking for cooperation.”
He said that CPS had contained the situation such that Roland Mitchner School, and St. Martha School, located on the north side of Memorial Drive several blocks away from the closed-off zone were able to remain open.
