Standoff suspect was armed with an assault rifle: BPS
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/07/2018 (2797 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Brandon man armed with a semi-automatic rifle and who was allegedly threatening to use it was arrested on Friday night just before 11 p.m., following a standoff with police that lasted more than three hours.
“The suspect showed signs of drug use,” said Brandon Police Service Staff Sgt. Rick Semler, who added it was likely a factor in the incident.
The man’s threat to fire the weapon on people outside the residence, located in the 100 block of Ninth Street North, resulted in an armed standoff earlier Friday evening with the Tactical Response Unit and Crisis Negotiators both on the scene, with at least 12 officers present, Semler said. Support staff were also working on the case.
Once police moved in and secured the location, a .556-calibre rifle was discovered inside the house where the suspect had been holed up.
“It’s not just a rifle, it’s an assault rifle. You can tell the difference. It was probably a semi-automatic,” Semler said.
Those living in the area were notified by police Friday evening of what was happening and were told to stay inside their houses.
“No matter what type of major incident comes about, public safety is the first thing we think about,” Semler said.
The Tactical Response Unit set up a perimeter around the house on Ninth Street North. They stood guard against a garage as well as by a backyard fence in a back lane behind the house. An area from Ninth Street North to Tenth Street North was blocked off starting at approximately 7 p.m., as well as from Stickney Avenue to Assiniboine Avenue.
From there negotiators got involved, Semler said.
“We made contact with the suspect and he came out, there was no incident as a result,” he said.
Semler said the assault rifle had been stolen from the Virden area in 2016.
The 41-year-old was known to police for parole violations, and as a result of Friday night’s events he will be charged with several weapons offences, including possession of a stolen rifle, possess a dangerous weapon, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
» The Brandon Sun
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated. The original version used the term “assault rifle” to describe the weapon in the opening paragraph, a term that was used by the Brandon Police in a media release, and during an interview with the Brandon Sun.