Original complainant now under investigation
John French
[email protected]
There was no firearm involved in a dramatic police incident last week on Britannia Avenue.Now that the dust has settled after police shut down a block of Britannia and called in an emergency response (ERT) team on Thursday (June 2).
Cpl. Dave Ritchie reported police did not find a weapon inside the subject home.
In light of that, the person who filed the original complaint could be charged.
"We are investigating the legitimacy of the original complaint," Ritchie said. "We will review with Crown counsel. If there are charges it will be public mischief."
Heavy resources were dedicated to the incident because the original complaint indicated there was an aggressive man threatening people in the Dentville basement suite with a gun.
Twenty ERT specialists were brought to Squamish from Vancouver, some by helicopter to Squamish Terminals, to deal with a man thought to have military experience.
Ritchie said the RCMP deployed a negotiator, telecommunications specialists, an explosives deployment unit, a dog unit, local sharpshooters and regular RCMP members.
The house was surrounded and according to Ritchie, the people inside the home didn't realize there was a significant police presence.
"The story changed through the day as people came out," said Ritchie.
Communication with the people in the house was a challenge because there was no telephone contact during the incident.
The negotiator used a loud hailer to get the attention of the 48-year-old man who was the last person remaining in the basement suite.
Ritchie says a window was broken to make direct contact. The man came out peacefully after initially resisting.
Once the subject was apprehended, he was given some time to become sober in a jail cell.The man claims he does not have military experience.
The people involved are not cooperating fully. Ritchie said all have been the subjects of past complaints dealt with by the RCMP.
The subject of the original complaint is to appear in court on July 6 facing a charge of uttering threats.
