The call came in as a man with a gun.
The complainant told police that he was concerned because he saw an individual walking along Peardonville Road in Abbotsford with the weapon.
The man neared a residence and the caller was able to provide the address for the home that was located at Peardonville and Grant Street.
The Abbotsford Police emergency response team (ERT) was conducting a training exercise nearby, and they moved to the area to provide support.
Police who arrived on scene used bullhorns to urge occupants to exit the residence.
Seven individuals came out, but one remained.
At least half a dozen police cars and several officers remained on scene for the next two hours – some coming and going, and others in full tactical gear with guns drawn in preparation for a potential turn of events.
It all ended peacefully about two hours later, when police made a cellphone call to the remaining resident and awoke him from the nap he had been having.
The man left the home without incident, and police found the weapon in question – a pellet gun.
The scene, which began at about noon as an apparent standoff, was cleared by 2 p.m., with no one arrested and no charges laid.
Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird said the police reaction might appear to have been over-dramatic, but officers must exercise extreme caution when dealing with gun-related reports.
Bird said the man who was oblivious to the commotion outside his home as he slept could have been wearing earplugs at the time or might have been in a back room of the house.
And because police didn’t know whether a real gun was in the residence, they couldn’t just go barging in.
But Bird said that it’s not a wise idea to walk in public with a pellet gun in hand, because it can easily be mistaken for a real weapon, especially from a distance.
“People can get very alarmed,” she said.
kelvin tweet 1
kelvin tweet 2
twitter video
grant street
