Standoff looks to have been one-sided: police (11 photos)

Timmins Police Services announced that the subject of a 17-hour containment effort at a west end Canadian Tire store was deemed not to be in the store after a police canine unit scoured the inside of the building looking for the suspect.

 

“At this time what we can confirm is that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) tactical and rescue unit did a search of the building using the canine unit and the TRE unit,” Kate Cantin, Timmins Police communications told the media gathered at the 9:30 p.m. news conference in front of the Timmins Police building.

 

 “No suspects or individuals were located inside the Canadian Tire building.”

 

The perimeter restrictions that extended from Jade Street to Government Road along Highway 101 have been lifted as a result.

 

Cantin reported that the investigation now has been handed back to Timmins Police from the OPP. 

 

“The OPP was called in for containment and tactical purposes, but now that the building has been cleared they are no longer needed,” confirmed Cantin.

 

Cantin also confirmed that the aim of the break in at Canadian Tires was to secure firearms.

 

At this time it is not known how many fire arms were taken.

 

Cantin advised the public to take precautions if they see the individual and call police at 911.

 

An immediate description of the suspect could not be provided though police do have security video images of the individual.

 

The incident began under cover of darkness shortly after 4 a.m. June 17, when the suspect broke into the Canadian Tire store.

 

Cantin said police believe he may have escaped in the moments prior to the area being secured. 

 

“It is likely the suspect exited the building at the beginning before police could fully contain the area,” Cantin said.  “It is not likely that the suspect exited the building while the containment was ongoing.”

 

Inspector Michael McGinn who also participated in the news conference said that police received a call of an intruder at the Canadian Tire store at about 4:30 a.m. by a store employee who had responded to an in-store alarm tripped when the suspect broke into the store.

 

McGinn said Timmins police were on the scene at 4:32 a.m.

 

Based on the call-in from the Canadian Tire employee, the last confirmed siting of the suspect was 4:19 a.m. 

 

“We began the containment of the area at 4:32 a.m.,” Inspector McGinn said. “As to when it was fully contained I don’t have an answer for that.”

 

Timmins police are looking for one male suspect and they have no reason to believe the individual had an accomplice or was assisted by a driver in getting away nor can police confirm that he is or is not from the Timmins area.

 

There was concern that the male suspect may have been one of the two murder suspects from a Toronto slaying earlier in the week who were reported to have been sighted in the Timmins area, but neither Cantin nor McGinn could confirm the incidents are related.

 

Police did not enter the building earlier because they needed to take precautions to ensure the safety of responding police officers and members of the public Cantin explained.   

 

Cantin indicated that at the moment they do not know if there are any eye witnesses to the break and enter at Canadian Tire. 

 

“No witness has come forward so far but if there are any witnesses please come forward,” she urged.

 

Cantin said the investigation will now focus on the break and entry and the theft of fire arms. 

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A perimeter was established and the Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Team, Tactical and Rescue Unit, Aerial Unit, and Canine Unit arrived on scene.

At that time, police had reason to believe there was an armed individual inside Canadian Tire.

All measures were taken to ensure public and officer safety. The area was contained and Hwy 101 was closed to traffic.

During the early evening hours of June 17, the OPP’s Tactical and Rescue Unit conducted a search of Canadian Tire.

Police can confirm that no suspects or individuals were located inside the building.

The OPP's units attended the scene for tactical response to Canadian Tire, therefore once the building was cleared; the investigation was turned over to the Timmins Police Service.

It is likely that the individual exited the building at the early stages, before police were able to establish containment of the Canadian Tire building.

This incident is now being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Section and Forensic Identification Section of the Timmins Police Service as a Break & Enter and theft of firearms.

At this time, the perimeter has been lifted as police do not believe that the suspect is in the containment area any longer.

The public is advised as always to continue to take precautions and report any suspicious activity to police.

At this time we thank the OPP's Tactical and Rescue Unit, Canine Unit, Aerial Unit, Emergency Response Team, as well as Timmins Emergency Response paramedics who were on scene throughout the incident.

For information on businesses re-opening, residents should call the particular businesses.

Businesses affected by today's incident were Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Penningtons, Michaels, Marks, and the Esso Truck Stop.