A police raid at a Victor Street house Wednesday that was the location of a homicide in February had nothing to do with the killing, according to the Abbotsford Police Department (APD), the agency that conducted the raid.
Residents reported seeing a large police presence at the home on Victor just north of Bole Avenue on June 5 in the rainy afternoon.
Witnesses heard so-called “flash bangs” and heavily armed officers in the area.
A video posted on YouTube showed the officers with carbines, some of whom were seen detaining at least three individuals nearby.
The home in question was seen to be obviously severely damaged on Thursday and at least one camouflaged officer was still in the driveway in an unmarked pickup truck.
APD spokesperson Sgt. Judy Bird told Black Press the police presence was a result of an ongoing Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) investigation and further details would not be released.
“We are conducting an investigation that involved serving search warrants at two separate residences one in Abbotsford and the other in Chilliwack,” Sgt. Bird said via email. “Based on the associated risks, the AbbyPD Emergency Response Team and Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team were utilized.”
She added that several people were detained, however, they were released pending further investigation.
Police did not confirm if the APD raids in Chilliwack on June 5 were related to May 2 raids at Abbotsford and Chilliwack addresses where RCMP seized more than 300 grams of drugs believed to be cocaine packaged in 700 individual amounts. Also seized were three vehicles, $17,000 cash, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking.
• READ MORE: Cocaine, cars and cash seized after raids in Chilliwack and Abbotsford
Sgt. Bird did confirm that the investigation is not related to the homicide that occurred at the same residence on Feb. 26.
It was that day when 42-year-old Christine Denham was killed a the now boarded up house in the 9400-block of Victor.
Charged with second-degree murder is 41-year-old Shane Travis Hughes. Denham was found with inside the residence with a gunshot wound. She was taken to hospital but succumbed to her injuries on March 1.
Few details have been released about the case but it is a K-file, which indicates a domestic murder.
• READ MORE: Shane Travis Hughes charged with second-degree murder in Feb. 26 incident on Victor Street
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