Editor’s note: The following story contains additional information than what we first reported on Monday in regard to an incident in Wallaceburg Friday.
By Alex Kurial, Local Journalism Initiative
Dozens of Chatham-Kent Police officers and members of the OPP swarmed into a Wallaceburg neighbourhood surrounding a townhouse for more than 12 hours before removing a man from the home.
The incident started when police were called to an apartment unit in the South Court Villas on Albert Street Friday afternoon. Neighbours say they’d heard a gunshot go off.
Chatham-Kent police first surrounded the building. Officers could be seen in full body armour carrying shields and firearms. The Chatham-Kent Critical Incident Response Team was already negotiating with the people inside the unit to come out in the early evening. At 7:50 p.m. officers went into the unit and escorted a woman out. She was taken away in an ambulance. Another man had also been arrested and was taken away in a police car.
One man remained inside. Police and family members urged the man – whom they identified as Lucas Shepherd – to come out. The pleas went on for hours, but there was no response from inside.
Ten minutes later, police evacuated families – including a dog – from surrounding units.
Neighbours believed Shepherd could move between apartments through connecting attics.
The incident attracted a large crowd, with some neighbours walking up to watch with a beer and joints in hand. Police attempted to move the crowd back at various points during the standoff. Some could be seen watching the scene unfold while sitting on lawn chairs.
Reinforcements from both Chatham-Kent and the OPP were called in throughout the evening.
At 10 p.m., the Chatham-Kent Police Mobile Command Unit arrived on scene along with a Canine Unit. By this point, Albert Street was closed off for several blocks.
At 1:20 a.m., an OPP armoured truck full of officers entered the apartments and took up position in front of the unit.
Shortly after 2 a.m., a drone was sent inside to get a visual on Shepherd.
Finally at 2:40 a.m., officers shattered all front windows of the townhouse to get inside.
Half an hour later, at 3:10 a.m., Shepherd was brought out of the house in handcuffs. He was placed in the back of a police cruiser before later being transferred into an ambulance.
Police had initially received a call that a man had entered the unit with a handgun.
The 25 year old is facing five weapons charges stemming from the incident.
• The Thamesville Herald
