A six-hour police stand off in west Maple Ridge has now ended peacefully, Ridge Meadows RCMP said early Friday evening.
Police said the incident was an “alleged firearm’s related call and has now ended peacefully,” they said online at about 5:30 p.m.
They thanked surrounding neighbours in the area of 206th Street and 122nd Avenue for staying inside or keeping clear during the incident.
Staff Sgt. Grant Wong said one male is in custody with minor injuries. “It was a situation where he eventually gave up,” Wong said.
It hasn’t yet been determined if there were firearms in the house. The man wasn’t armed when he was taken into custody at about 5 p.m., Wong added.
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Mounties had a section of west Maple Ridge, one block north of a school, blocked off.
Residents in the area near Fairview Elementary were asked to remain in their homes, and traffic in the area was diverted, as three marked police cruisers and several tactical vehicles converged on 122nd Avenue, west of 205B Street. A police explosives team and K9 unit were also on scene.
Police had evacuated some nearby homes, as they tried to establish contact with the person inside a home. The residence had been surrounded by police since the late morning.
The front door of the house had been “blown off,” said a neighbour.
Ridge Meadows RCMP had posted to Twitter, asking people to avoid the 20500-block area, between Dewdney Trunk Road and 123rd Avenue, until further notice.
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The incident, they say, involved one person in a home.
Reporters on scene report having heard what sounded like two explosions from the house just before 3 p.m., then another at about 3:50 p.m., followed by a third.
Then, at approximately 3:30 p.m., a pair of ambulances arrived at the scene.
Steve Shaw, a resident in the area, said he’s not sure what’s going on, “But I’m unable to leave my house and check the mail,” he shared with The News.
“All I know now is that everyone is supposed to stay inside. No in and out traffic,” he said, sharing only moments ago: “There was just a loud bang. All hell is breaking loose… It sounds like they are telling someone to come out with there hands up.”
Another neighbour, Tania Lafortune, reported the lock down was in place “for hours. We cannot leave.”
Someone else in the area, Natalie Woods posted to Facebook: “I was wondering what that bang was. Told my kid it was a construction boom dropping heavy material when he asked.”
The school is closed today for a non-instructional day.
• Stay tuned for more information as it comes available
