Standoff ensues after counterfeit pizza buy

By Jeremy Appel on September 29, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

Medicine Hat police arrested two people after a five-hour standoff in the Riverside neighbourhood in the early hours of Friday.

Police were called to a residence at the 100 block of Third Street NW around 11:48 p.m. on Thursday, after a food delivery driver reported they received counterfeit money as payment.

Acting Staff Sgt. Ernie Fischhofer says police arrived at 12:45 a.m., arresting 30-year-old Angel Strandquist for food fraud, using counterfeit currency and outstanding warrants.

Brandon Aman, 25, then barricaded himself in the property’s detached garage, threatening to shoot anybody who entered.

At the time, Aman was wanted by the Redcliff RCMP on 14 outstanding arrest warrants and was recently reported to be in possession of guns and ammunition.

“He wasn’t being surveilled, but was being sought after,” said Fischhofer. “There was some crossover through the night with RCMP touching base with us that they were coming into town to have a look for him, and we were able to advise them, ‘We have him right here.'”

The Medicine Hat Police Service Tactical Team and Crisis Negotiators were called to the scene, and the Armoured Rescue Vehicle was deployed, resulting in the standoff, which lasted from approximately 12:45-5:45 a.m.

“It’s very much, first and foremost, about continuing dialogue,” Fischhofer said of dealing with a standoff.

“A lot of the speak is in order to have that person continue with that dialogue … (to) relay things from their perspective, how things could play out. They just have a cautious conversation around that.”

According to an MHPS news release, Aman and Strandquist are both facing “numerous criminal code charges.”

Fischhofer said police are not yet able to release the specific charges to the public — beyond the three against Strandquist — as they were in the process of drafting search warrants for the residence, which could result in further charges, particularly for Aman.

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