There was an armed standoff involving a major police presence at a Virden home last Saturday night. RCMP received a report around 9:30 p.m. that a man had discharged a rifle inside his home on Thomas Drive. The name of the shooter has not been released.
Several people described as the man’s friends were with him in the home at the time. They left after the shot was fired and called 911.
Eight officers in total staked out the house for several hours. They came from the Virden detachment, the canine unit from Brandon and Westman Traffic Services.
Emergency Response Team negotiators from Winnipeg were also involved in the standoff, trying to contact the man by phone and persuade him to leave the house.
Around 12:20 in the morning, the man came out the front door with his hands up. He was arrested and released, and is now facing one charge of careless use of a firearm.
Sgt. Ed Riglin of the Virden detachment said the investigation is still ongoing and more charges could be laid. It’s believed alcohol was a factor in the incident.
The man will appear in Virden’s provincial court in January.
