Daylong standoff in Centennial ends with five people in custody

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This article was published 31/10/2019 (1951 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Several people are in custody following a police standoff that began early Thursday at a house beside Gord Dong Park and Pacific Avenue and ended safely late in the afternoon.

Police were called to the scene of a reported robbery with a weapon in the Centennial neighbourhood, near Pacific Avenue and Ellen Street at 4:40 a.m.

The investigation led officers to the nearby residence, where the standoff began. Police took five people into custody.

“I can’t exactly provide too many details right now about what exactly brought us to the (residence),” Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jay Murray said.

“Obviously, there’s a concern that weapons are in play and that’s why you see our tactical support team out.”

At the scene, the voice of a police officer on a speaker echoed: “We know you’re in the residence,” followed by pleas for an occupant to surrender.

Police said at the time that no injuries were reported and they were working towards a safe resolution.

Neighbours in a nearby complex told the Free Press they awoke to the sounds of a gunshot and screaming at about 3 a.m.

About a dozen emergency vehicles, including an ambulance, lined a stretch of Pacific Avenue between Paulin and Ellen streets Thursday. An armoured police vehicle was parked in the house’s driveway. The street had been closed to the public.

Kim Martel was watching the incident unfold outside her office building down the street.

She was stopped by police when she was turning onto Pacific on the way to work.

“They just said someone is armed in that house and then said they couldn’t say anything more,” Martel said.

Just after 3:30 p.m. Thursday, police issued an advisory saying the incident was “safely concluded.”

“A number of people have been taken into custody and the major crime unit is investigating,” police said, adding more information may be released today.

— with file from Carol Sanders

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca