Despite hours of negotiations, armed man killed by police in eastend Calgary standoff
By The Canadian Press on March 16, 2024.
A 30-hour armed standoff with police came to a fatal conclusion last night at an east-end home in the Calgary neighbourhood of Penbrooke Meadows. Police say they had an interaction with a man during the execution of a search warrant, related to an ongoing firearms investigation Thursday afternoon. They say that is when he had barricaded himself in the house and began shooting at police. They say the individual fired more than 100 shots, but luckily, no one, police or bystander, was hit. Ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful surrender ended last night (Friday) at around 8:30 p.m., with police citing an escalation in the unfolding situation. They say the city’s Tactical Unit officers, along with members of the RCMP Emergency Response Team, engaged and discharged their service weapons. One man was declared deceased at the scene. No other information has been released. The province’s Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate. During a midnight news conference, Calgary’s Chief Constable Mark Neufeld told reporters that the event’s outcome was unfortunate, despite making every effort to bring the standoff “to a safe and peaceful conclusion.” Neufeld added that they “employed numerous tactics and resources over the duration of this prolonged event. This includes intermittent negotiations with the individual for more than 30-hours.” He also said that the safety of the community was their top concern. Early on during the unfolding drama, some neighbouring residents were evacuated from their homes over safety concerns, noting that the suspect was actively shooting at the Calgary Police Service and the risk level was “extremely high” for both the public and the police. Neufeld said the investigation “will take a bit of time, as the scene is being held and processed by crime scene investigators.” He then asked displaced locals “to continue to refer to our social media channels for detailed and timely updates on returning to your homes.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2024. 14-13
