WEAPONS DRAWN
Members of Windsor police’s emergency services unit approach the front of a house in the 1500 block of Betts Avenue Friday afternoon. The standoff was linked to a shooting in the early-morning hours at a residence in Amherstburg. A man located inside the Betts residence was found dead.
One person is dead and a 31-yearold man is in a Detroit-area hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound after a shooting in the early hours of Friday morning.
The chain of events began about 2:30 a.m. when Amherstburg police responded to an incident in the 100 block of Sandwich Street. An Amherstburg man was found shot and rushed to hospital in Windsor before being transferred to a Detroit hospital.
In Windsor, around noon, Amherstburg police officers and members of the Windsor police emergency services unit surrounded a residence in the 1500 block of Betts Avenue. Investigators had determined that a male wanted in relation to the shooting was believed to be in the residence.
The two police services secured the location and informed local school boards and the public that the target residence was contained and there was no threat to public safety.
Members of the public were asked to avoid the area.
Around 2 p.m., after making repeated attempts to communicate with the individual being sought, tactical officers drew their weapons and entered an unattached garage at the address.
Inside the garage, officers discovered a deceased male.
Betts Avenue was still closed as of 5 p.m. Friday, and police said it would remain so until further notice as the investigation continued.
West-end resident Travis Reitsma said he was biking home when he was confronted by the sight of police officers cordoning off the neighbourhood. “They’ve been standing around with assault rifles and encouraging the person inside the house to come out.”
The Special Investigations Unit is looking into the matter. The civilian agency, which operates independently from police, investigates circumstances involving police and civilians that result in serious injury or death.
SIU has invoked its mandate and as such, the Windsor Police Service said it was not in a position to release any further information at this time.
Earlier Friday, Amherstburg police had shut down Sandwich Street between Texas Road and St. Arnaud Street to examine the scene of the shooting.
Several houses in an area just north of Grant Avenue were taped off. Sandwich Street was finally reopened to motorists around 1:30 p.m., but a section of Grant Avenue remained closed.
Despite nine hours of street closures, Amherstburg police stated there were no public safety concerns in relation to the investigation. Anyone who witnessed the shooting incident or may have information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to call Amherstburg police at 519-736-3622.
Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.