EDMONTON — Police were called to a property northwest of Edmonton Monday after a bailiff tried to seize a vehicle, but was confronted by an armed man.
RCMP said the bailiff arrived in the late afternoon at the rural property near St. Paul to retrieve the truck. The homeowner went inside to get his rifle, police said, so the bailiff took off.
He told investigators that a few minutes later he heard a gun shot – possibly more than one – so he called police at around 4:45 p.m.
St. Paul RCMP, along with the Edmonton Emergency Response Team, RCMP Crisis Negotiation, the bomb squad, air services and K9 police dog units all responded.
Mounties asked the public to keep away from Highway 881 and Highway 29 near the town of St. Paul while the standoff was ongoing.
Witness photos submitted to Global News showed officers taking cover behind vehicles and with guns drawn on a highway near the town.
RCMP said during the negotiations the homeowner’s wife came out of the home, and eventually after about six hours the suspect surrendered peacefully. No one was injured.
Because a firearm was involved in the situation, a search warrant was obtained for the property, which police expected to comb over on Tuesday.
Charges are pending against the homeowner.
St. Paul is about a two hour drive northeast of Edmonton.