Residents of a normally quiet South Surrey neighbourhood estimate more than a dozen police officers – including heavily armed members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) – swarmed their street Saturday evening.
It was the third time in less than three weeks that police have been called to the same rental property in the 16400-block of 10 Avenue, a small older house hidden behind overgrown hedges.
All three times, it was the result of reported screaming and vandalism inside the house. Twice, the 26-year-old male occupant was forcibly removed from the scene following a standoff with police.
In the most recent incident, RCMP closed 10 Avenue near 164 Street to all but local traffic around 10 p.m. after neighbours heard loud noises inside the house.
“Howling and wailing and bashing,” is how one resident remembers the disturbance.
“It was eerie.”
An RCMP report indicates a man had punched out several windows. He was described in the report as “heavily intoxicated” and suffering from “mental-health issues.”
Eyewitnesses, who spoke to Peace Arch News on condition of anonymity, said police used a bullhorn to urge the man to reveal himself.
“Go to the window,” one witness heard an officer say, addressing the occupant by his first name.
“Let us know you’re OK.”
Around midnight, police entered the house and extracted the man without incident. He is being held for a psychiatric assessment, the police report states.
Two other, similar, incidents involving the same man at the same location occurred earlier on April 10 and April 14.
On April 10, the man suffered minor injuries during a confrontation with police. Residents say they saw officers drag the man from the house through a window when he put his arms out and demanded to know if they had a warrant. He was taken away in an ambulance and briefly incarcerated, the police report shows.
On April 14, the man was smashing up the interior of the house with a metal pole, but surrendered peacefully when confronted by police.
“It sure would be nice to see that guy get some help,” one resident told Peace Arch News.
A development proposal sign at the scene says an application has been made to divide the 1,233-square-metre lot in two.
Developer Daljit Gill said he is going to demolish the house.
“I’m going to go there and put plywood on the windows,” Gill told PAN.
Gill said he wanted to discuss the incident with the tenant, but was unable to reach the man as of Monday.