Armed standoff ends with one shot
Posted By BRANDON BLATZ Sun Media
Posted 3 months ago
A day-long, armed police standoff ended when the gunman turned a firearm on himself, Oct 29.
The incident was a colossal effort by both the Camrose Police Service (CPS) and the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT). Several blocks surrounding the area were cordoned off, and police quickly evacuated residents in the vicinity who were in a position of possible risk.
The scene resembled the set of a hollywood thriller movie set. Emergency response vehicles and personnel wearing bullet-proof vests lined the streets. Police used a special unit containing a remote operated, six-wheeled special tactics robot. In addition, there were two large ERT command centre buses parked about a block away from the residence, which is located in a crescent two blocks east of Marler Drive and 42nd Ave.
Curious area residents pooled around the perimeter, wondering what was going on. Police remained tight-lipped until after the standoff ended, which fueled mass speculation among the community and irritated many people who lived in the blocks around the scene who were unable to return to their homes.
Insp. Lee Foreman of the CPS said that the first priority for police from the start of the incident was the safety of everyone in the surrounding areas, officers on scene and the gunman himself.
The drama allegedly started days earlier. The suspect is said to have entered the Cornerstone Shopper's Drug Mart on Oct. 27 at approximately 10:40 p.m. He approached the pharmacist and demanded narcotics, claiming to have a gun in his pocket. He received a small quantity of drugs and fled.
In the ensuing investigation, the police identified an individual in the robbery, and obtained a warrant for his arrest. On Oct. 28, police received information that he was possibly hiding out in a Camrose home, and maintained surveillance over-night. In the process of collecting more information, police learned the suspect had several firearms registered to him. At about 8:30 a.m. Oct 28, the police were able to confirm that the man was, in fact, in the home. They surrounded and secured the resi-dence to ensure that the suspect did not escape.
The RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in to assist with the arrest. Moments after the ERT arrived on scene at approximately 11:45 a.m., several shots were fired by the man from within the home.
The occupant fired in excess of 30 rounds towards police from a high-powered rifle. The shots struck homes, trees and fences in the immediate area.
Police attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender throughout the day, to no avail. At around 4:20 p.m., the gunman turned a handgun on himself, firing a single shot at his torso. Police were able to move in quickly to disarm him.
The man was alone in the house, and no one else was injured during the confrontation other than the gunman.
Camrose EMS were on scene and rushed the injured man to St. Mary's Hospital. STARS air ambulance had been called to Camrose, but left with an empty stretcher.
The suspect, Charles Daniel Nadeau, 31, is recovering in hospital in stable condition and faces a series of charges including robbery and several firearms related charges.
