Neighbours in Calgary armed standoff ‘wondered what was going on’

The morning after a 30-hour armed standoff ended with one man dead, several Calgary residents of the Penbrooke Meadows neighbourhood that was forced to shelter in place said that while they were shocked by the incident, they believe Calgary police handled it properly.

At 8:30 p.m. Friday., after 29 hours during which time police say over 100 shots were fired as officers attempted to serve a warrant, officers shot and killed the suspect.

Several neighbours interviewed by CTV News said the situation was unnerving.

"It was scary," said Vicki Belhumeur. "The first few hours were intense for all of us, all the neighbours, we were wondering what was going on. Nobody would tell us.

"You never know who your neighbours are," she added. "And this world is getting to be a terrible place. It's not fun here in Calgary. I've lived here my whole life -- I'm 41 -- and I've just never seen it this bad. For this to happen down the street, you never know."

A second neighbour, veteran Paul Bedford, said he was surprised to hear the incident arose over serving a warrant.

"You hear they just went in for a search warrant," he said. "And to get on that level, to shoot back at police officers -- I've been in the military man. You shoot at somebody, they're going to shoot back and it's not going to be a good outcome."

Bedford said he was originally from Detroit where he was used to a lot of shootings but not in Calgary.

He added that he thought Calgary police did a good job.

"I liked the way they handled it," he said. "It took a little while, but they were doing it the right way. I say I'd take care of it a different way but they did right -- kept the public safe. Kept the neighbourhood safe, too.

"I'm not going anywhere," he added. "I'm staying here. This is my home."

DISPLACED RESIDENTS

Early Saturday morning, Calgary Chief Constable Mark Neufeld addressed the impact of the dramatic events on residents.

“Many residents in the surrounding area have been displaced. If you were impacted by this situation, I want to thank you for your patience and your understanding. These (situations) are never easy," Neufeld said.

“I understand the stress that incidents like this can cause for residents and their families and just know, that we’ve taken all reasonable steps to minimize impacts and to support the community throughout this ordeal.

“We are currently working at having people return to their homes but this will take a bit of time as the scene is being held and processed by crime scene investigators," he said, continuing.

“I ask the residents to continue to refer to our social media channels for detailed and timely updates on returning to your homes.

“If you’ve been displaced from your home, we ask that upon your return, if you notice any property damage to your residence, please contact the police non-emergency line at 403-266-1234."

Police said their Victim Service Assistance Support Team (VAST) is available for residents affected by the incident by calling 403-428-8398 or 1-888-327-7828.

VAST volunteers will also be on hand in Penbrooke Meadows Saturday to offer support.