(Saanich) Two suspects in a bank robbery in Saanich, British Columbia, were shot dead after coming under a barrage of police fire on Tuesday. The suspects were reportedly wearing bulletproof protective gear.
Updated yesterday at 11:53 p.m.
Six members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were injured in the shooting, three of them seriously, law enforcement said.
Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie said residences in the area were evacuated over fears of an explosive device in a nearby parked vehicle linked to the suspects.
In nearly 27 years of experience with the Saanich Police Department, Chief Duthie says he has never seen anything that reaches this level of violence.
“It’s something that shakes a community,” he told reporters outside the station. People will continue to be affected by this and we are aware of that. »
Later that evening, officers lifted the neighborhood containment order after determining there were no indications that a possible third suspect was involved in the robbery.
PHOTO CHAD HIPOLITO, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Six members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were injured in the shooting, three of them seriously, law enforcement said.
Regarding the injured police officers, Dean Duthie added that he expected to see some of them discharged from the hospital shortly, but that other more seriously injured had to be transferred to the operating room.
Emergency services were called to the scene of a bank robbery on Tuesday morning. The call reported armed men having entered the institution. According to Chief Duthie, the shooting started when the suspects left the bank, which created an extremely dangerous situation for the population.
“I don’t know who opened fire first, but there were many firefights. Where are we at now? I don’t know,” he commented.
Mr Duthie confirmed that the two suspects shot by police were pronounced dead at the scene. He was pleased that no member of the clientele or staff or even the general public were injured.
Owner of Gordon Head Paintworks in Victoria, Jacob McAndrews had just pulled into the parking lot of a sushi restaurant near the bank when he saw heavily armed police.
“I asked them if I should leave and they just told me to park in the corner and hide,” he said. That’s when he started filming the scene.
In his video posted online, six police officers can be seen running in a crouching position along a building. One of the agents positioned at the corner of the building unloads his weapon. Dozens of shots can be heard on the tape.
PHOTO KEVIN LIGHT, REUTERS
Residences in the area were evacuated for fear of the presence of an explosive device in a vehicle parked nearby and linked to the suspects.
Mr McAndrews described the scene as “very scary”.
“It was the first time I heard gunshots in Victoria,” he said. I hope it will be the only one. »
A local resident told The Canadian Press that she was in her kitchen when she heard gunshots ring out shortly after 11 a.m.
“I heard pop, pop, pop. It was in succession,” said the woman, who only identified herself as Karen.
“A few minutes later, I heard sirens. I certainly heard several gunshots. I was in the kitchen with the back door open and I heard a noise,” she added.
Saanich is a community of approximately 120,000 people in the greater Victoria area on Vancouver Island. It has its own police force.
The Bank of Montreal said it was saddened by this event and thanked the emergency services for their intervention and for ensuring the safety of the population.