A residential neighbourhood was closed off for several hours Monday evening (Feb. 8) as Surrey RCMP responded to a “report of a male requiring medical attention.”
“It was a man who was having a mental health crisis,” Cpl. Joanie Sidhu, media relations officer for the Surrey RCMP, told Black Press Media. “He barricaded himself in a residence and we had information that he had also consumed drugs.”
Sidhu said when Mounties responded to the call, the team included officers, Emergency Response Team (ERT) members, and negotiators.
She added Mounties talked with the man from about 6 p.m to 10:30 p.m. before he was arrested under the under mental health act and taken to an area hospital for assessment.
She said officers also found a handgun and shotgun in the residence along with ammunition.
“It could have been a dangerous situation. It’s not uncommon for police to spend hours on mental health calls dealing with individuals who are experiencing a crisis. And it’s not uncommon for these individuals to be using drugs.”
She said guns or other weapons always add an extra level of danger for the attending officers.
According to a release from the Surrey RCMP, the original call came in around 6:15 p.m. in the 19100-block of 73rd Avenue.
The release added the area was closed to foot and vehicle traffic.
A Black Press Media freelancer on scene said it “appeared (Surrey RCMP officers) were attempting to make contact with a person inside of a townhouse but the person was unwilling to comply.”
He added police cordoned off the area and began speaking with another occupant of the townhouse and someone else on the phone.
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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