Cindy White
UPDATE 8:50pm
The standoff on Rutland’s Cactus Road appears to be over. But it’s not clear if the police found their suspect.
A resident of Cactus Road said police executed their search warrant at 1075 Cactus Road at 8:30 pm, with the Emergency Response Team entering the home after waiting for about 10 hours. But the neighbor says the police didn’t bring anyone out.
“They breached the house finally and there was nobody in there, we watched them come out,” she said.
As of 8:45 pm, the ERT has left the scene and Kelowna RCMP officers remain in and around the house. Cactus Road has now been reopened to traffic.
Police first arrived at the home at about 10 am Thursday morning. The neighbor said a man surrendered to the police at about 11 am, followed by two women from the basement suite just after noon.
Two other men surrendered to the police shortly after that, but the neighbor says no other residents of the home were taken into custody since then.
Another resident of a nearby home was also arrested after he allegedly threatened officers at the scene. That man was not connected to the incident at 1075 Cactus Road, but after he was arrested, the police learned he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest.
The neighbor says 1075 Cactus Road has “been a known problem for the cops” for the past year.
The Kelowna RCMP has not yet disclosed the circumstances around the incident, but spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera said he’s hoping to release some information either later Thursday evening or first thing Friday morning.
UPDATE 7:15pm
RCMP Emergency Response Team personnel continue to surround the home on Cactus Road Thursday evening, with officers deploying what appeared to be stun grenades at about 7 pm
A neighbor in the area says police began using their loudspeaker once again, calling for an individual, or perhaps several, to come out of the basement at 1075 Cactus Road with their hands up. The neighbor has also recently heard several loud bangs, which he believes were stun grenades.
Stun grenades produce a blinding flash of light and an extremely loud bang noise to disorient a person.
The police incident began earlier Thursday morning, and the neighbor says several people have been taken into police custody throughout the day.
Police have not yet disclosed the circumstances around the incident, but Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera says officers are waiting on securing a search warrant.
While police are now primarily focused on 1075 Cactus Road, Const. Della-Paolera says officers were forced to turn their attention to a house two doors down earlier in the afternoon, after a neighbor made threatening comments to the officers on scene.
“One of the occupants of that house, for whatever reason, decided he didn’t like police in his neighborhood, or whatever the situation was, and he started making some threats to the police officers,” Const. Della-Paolera said. “Unfortunately he didn’t realize that he was also a man who had two warrants for his arrest.
“He ended up barricading himself temporarily but they ended up making the arrest without any issue, he just kind of gave up. But he basically ratted himself out, because we weren’t even paying attention to that, nobody knew he was there.”
That man has been taken into custody, but the situation at 1075 Cactus Road remains active.
UPDATE 3:50pm
Police continue to respond to an incident in the 1000 block of Cactus Rd. in Kelowna’s Rutland area.
Kelowna RCMP officers, along with the RCMP Emergency Response Team, have had a home at 1075 Cactus Road surrounded since Thursday morning.
According to a neighbor in the area who has been following the police operation for hours, six people have been taken into custody at the scene so far.
Officers briefly expanded the road closures in the area Thursday afternoon, closing Springfield Road from Neptune Road to Hollywood Road South. But those closures have now been lifted.
Police continue to ask people to stay out of the area.
“This is an unfolding incident and further information will be released at an appropriate time,” says RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della Paolera.
UPDATE 2:48pm
RCMP, the police dog team and the Emergency Response Team continue to surround a home in Rutland Thursday afternoon.
Police set up a ‘hard block’, including spike belts, on Cactus Rd. between Jasmine Rd. and Monterey Rd. before 10:30 am and have surrounded a home at 1075 Cactus Rd.
As of 2:45 pm Thursday, police snipers and cruisers have surrounded the house and have been on the loud speaker asking the occupants of the home to come out through the back door with their hands up and empty.
RCMP have asked media to stay well back of the home. One officer on the scene indicated the request was for our own safety as they had a report of a possible firearm.
Residents in the area have been asked to remain in their homes for their own safety.
No other information has been released.
UPDATE 11:20 am
Using a loudspeaker, RCMP are telling someone inside the house to come out, saying they are under arrest.
UPDATE 10:55 am
An RCMP Emergency Response Team is on the scene and police have set up a ‘hard block’ on Cactus Rd. between Jasmine Rd. and Monterey Rd.
Officers are canvassing the neighborhood and using a loudspeaker to tell nearby residents to shelter in place.
They have been on the scene for nearly an hour and have set up a spike belt.
Along with several RCMP vehicles, there are two ambulances stationed at the end of Cactus Rd.
Photo: Rob Gibson
RCMP have set up a roadblock on Cactus Road.
ORIGINAL 10:13 am
Kelowna RCMP have blocked off Cactus Road between Jasmine Road and Monterey Road Thursday morning as they respond to an unfolding incident.
RCMP are advising the public to stay clear of the 1000 block of Cactus Road in Rutland.
A news release from Kelowna RCMP indicates, “police are asking people to stay out of the area. This is an unfolding incident and further information will be released at an appropriate time.”
Castanet will update this story as more information comes available.
