One man is in serious but stable condition and three people have been taken into police custody after a shooting in north Edmonton on Thursday morning.
Police were called to a home in the area of 76 Street and 127 Avenue, just north of the CN Rail yard, just before 8 a.m. There, police found a 40-year-old man who was treated for undisclosed injuries and taken to hospital. Police did not say what led to his injuries.
According to police, officers surrounded the residence and a woman came outside after an initial standoff that lasted over an hour. She was taken into custody.
Police believed there were more people inside and said there may also have been firearms in the home.
As of 10:30 a.m., police were still on scene and the tactical unit and a negotiator had been brought in to help resolve the standoff.
Later Thursday afternoon, a Global News crew saw two more people taken from the house, apparently in handcuffs.
A witness told Global News that police tossed in tear gas. A Global reporter said he didn’t smell gas, but did hear several bangs.
The standoff was over shortly after 3 p.m. Police spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said the bangs heard by witnesses were “likely flash-bangs,” but couldn’t confirm for sure.
Blake Smith lives across the street from the home with his family. He said he was at work when he received a text from his wife that police were in the area.
Smith described the house as a problem property and guessed that the police armoured vehicle had been there three times already this month.
“We were communicating back and forth on the phone via text so I knew she was safe and they were OK, but it just gets tiring after a while,” Smith said. “This is a good neighbourhood overall, it’s all blue collar, hard-working men and women but it’s that one property.
“It’s just been one problem after another, all the time.”
Voordenhout confirmed the address is known to police, but didn’t say how many times officers had responded to the home.
She also said the injured man had been released from hospital, but provided no other update to his injuries. She said he had not been taken into custody and said he was cooperating with police.
A search warrant is pending and Voordenhout said more information should be released after that is executed.
People were asked to stay away from the area during the standoff, which lasted more than five hours.
– With files from Fletcher Kent, Global News