A tense and lengthy armed standoff in south Winnipeg came to an end Thursday night with a dramatic takedown and a man in handcuffs.
On Thursday afternoon, a large police presence was at the Bottle Shop beer vendor on Pembina Highway and Plaza Drive, where a man barricaded himself inside the store.
The ordeal started at about 3:40 p.m. Police say the man initially locked several employees inside, but they were able to quickly flee the building.
CJOB reporter Will Reimer said he witnessed what he described as “an explosion of gunfire” at 7:20 p.m. that turned out to be a less-lethal weapon, according to police. Witnesses said it appeared to be a beanbag gun. The man was taken away in handcuffs.
No one was hurt.
WATCH: A negotiating team tries to convince a lone man just inside a liquor store, armed with a knife, to put down his weapon.
Just before 6 p.m., police told the person inside to stand down.
“Put the knives down, Alex, and you can go see your family,” officers told the agitated man inside. “Just put the knives down; no one’s coming in.”
“Make the right choice.”
Murray wouldn’t comment on the man’s demands or identity but said he is known to police. Murray said after the ordeal that the man was a suspect in “several incidents” earlier in the day.
Police and crisis negotiators were on scene and talking with the man, said Murray.
“We want to ensure a safe resolution for all involved.”
The situation got tense at about 6:20 p.m., when the man started to step outside with a knife in his hand, said Reimer.
Police raised their weapons as the man stepped into the doorway then ultimately went back into the store. Reimer described the knife as “quite large” and said the man was also holding a beer.
“Where the f**k is my family. Show me my family,” the man yelled at police. “Show me they’re safe. The cops kidnapped my family.”
Reimer said police asked the man, who is wearing a red sweater, heavy brown jacket and beige pants, to stop drinking so much alcohol. No fewer than eight police officers were at the front doors.
Murray called this the best-case scenario as nobody was injured.
“There’s no rush in a situation like this, we want to work with the individual and take them into custody safely and that’s what happened.”
The man and police were talking through the store’s glass front door, with police sometimes using a megaphone.
The following tweet is from the scene at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Murray asked the general public to stay away. However, hundreds gathered across the street.
Traffic on Pembina Highway was delayed.
—With files from Will Reimer and Kevin Hirschfield