By Scott Roblin

VIDEO: Man wanted on warrants arrested after standoff in Riverside

May 27, 2018 | 3:22 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A peaceful end to a four and a half hour standoff in the community of Riverside on Sunday afternoon between Medicine Hat Police and a man wanted on warrants.

Police were called to the 200 block of 5th Street NW at around 11:00 am after reports of a 39-year-old man barricading himself inside a home.

The suspect previously lived in the city and was wanted on warrants out of Drumheller for break and enter, breach of release conditions, and proceeds of crime.

S/Sgt. Kelsey Fraser said knowing he was back in the Medicine Hat area on warrants, they tried to arrest him on Saturday.

“We attempted to stop him on the highway while he was riding a motorcycle and he fled from police,” said Fraser. “[Sunday] we were able to locate him at a residence in the northwest Riverside area, a residence which he’s banned from going to from domestic violence.”

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Two individuals inside the home were evacuated, while police called in over a dozen members of the tactical squad.

Fraser said it was a necessary decision due to the suspect’s previous history with guns.

“We had recent, reliable, and relevant information he had access to firearms,” he said. “He’s currently on a prohibition order not to possess firearms, he also has a history of access to firearms. Due to that level of risk to the community where we found him, we decided to call our tactical team in.”

After hours of negotiations, the suspect finally surrendered to police without incident at around 3:30 pm with no injuries to the suspect or officers.

Fraser wanted to express his thanks to area residents for their cooperation, especially due to the lengthy nature of these standoffs.

“It’s very important when we call, for people to stay indoors,” he said. “In this community, again they did the same thing. They stayed indoors, they didn’t cause us extra worries or stress, and we can’t thank people of Medicine Hat enough. It really keeps us focused on our job and keeps safety paramount.”

The identity of the suspect is being withheld until his first bail hearing with the Calgary bail office, which will either be held on Sunday night or Monday morning.

According to Fraser, the police and community response to the incident was handled perfectly to bring the standoff to a close.

“The fact that he’s in a closed community in Riverside during the daylight hours, we had a very high concern for the public safety there,” he said. “Through our negotiation team and tactical team, we were able to maintain public safety, officer safety, and this is a resolution we want every time.”