(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.
Posted at 8:30 p.m.
Updated at 8:57 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 my experience with the Saanich Police Department, which is approaching 27 years, there has never been anything that reaches this level of violence,” Chief Duthie told reporters outside. of the post.
Dean Duthie added that he expected to see some officers discharged from hospital shortly, but others with more serious injuries had to be transferred to the operating theatre.
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.
In a video posted online and filmed from a vehicle near the scene, six police officers can be seen running in a crouching position alongside 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.
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.