Police in northern Alberta were busy Tuesday night, after shots rang out at a facility near Clairmont, leading to an hours-long standoff with a suspect.
RCMP said just before 8 p.m., officers were called to a Halliburton facility in an industrial area near Clairmont, about 10 kilometres north of Grande Prairie.
Reports indicated the individual had entered the site and was shooting a rifle – and all available RCMP resources responded.
Once officers arrived, the location and identification of the suspect wasn’t clear – so officers contained the area, and a number of businesses were placed on lock down, while traffic was kept from the area as a precaution.
Finally, at about 11:15 p.m., a Halliburton employee approached an officer at a road block outside the secure area, and indicated he had been speaking with the suspect – RCMP were able to negotiate with the suspect, and the suspect left the facility and surrendered at about 11:45 p.m.
RCMP said a handgun and assault-style rifle were seized at the scene, and investigation revealed some damage consistent with being hit with gun fire to the facility – no one was injured in the incident.
Investigators said the suspect is a 58-year-old Grande Prairie man, who had previously worked for Halliburton – a number of firearms-related charges have been laid against him.
