The stand-off on Bell McKinnon Road on the afternoon on Aug. 4 was the result of a mental health issue, according to a RCMP spokesman.
Sgt. Chris Manseau said the police responded to a complaint about someone threatening to do harm to themselves and/or someone else at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
He said there was a report that firearms were involved, so they set up two roadblocks on Bell McKinnon Road and evacuated residences from homes surrounding the house where it was believed the suspect was situated.
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“But we found out the subject of the complaint and the person we believed was being threatened were not even in the home, and showed up after the roadblocks were set up,” Manseau said.
“One was taken to the hospital for a mental health assessment, and the situation ended peaceably with no one coming to any harm.”
Manseau said, although there were reports of firearms, none were seen or seized during the incident (which ended at 4:30 p.m.)
Multiple RCMP vehicles were on the scene during the incident, and a negotiator was involved as well.
A resident of Bell McKinnon Road, who asked not to be identified, said the house next door to his appeared to be the one the police were concentrating on, and there was an RCMP sniper positioned in the front of the house with his gun pointed and ready.
He said that at about 2:50 p.m., what he described as a large police van pulled into the house’s backyard and he heard two explosions soon afterwards.
“The whole neighbourhood was on lockdown and the police wanted everyone out,” the resident said, “But we’re in clear view of the house if we go up our driveway,” so he remained in place while awaiting further instructions from authorities.
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