A major police presence in Weyburn’s southwest area Wednesday afternoon was the result of what the Weyburn Police Service described as a high-risk situation involving serious threats to public safety.
During the afternoon, officers responded to a call involving a man who had made alarming threats.
“The individual who made the call made some serious threats that made us concerned for that individual's safety, some other individual's safety, and then also the public's safety,” explained Sergeant Riley Ross with the Weyburn Police Service.
The situation prompted the activation of a critical incident response, including members of the Joint Tactical Support Team, crisis negotiators, and tactical commanders. A perimeter was established around the 100 block of 6th Avenue SW, and residents in the area were asked to shelter in place while police worked to resolve the incident.
After several hours of negotiation, police were able to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.
“At about 6:30 p.m. last night, we took one male into custody safely without incident after the crisis negotiators were able to speak with him and get him to surrender peacefully and safely,” Ross said. The man was assessed at Weyburn General Hospital for mental health concerns before being placed in police custody. He was later charged with uttering threats.
Throughout the incident, officers blocked access to the area to ensure public safety. Ross acknowledged the disruption but emphasized it was necessary.
“It is an inconvenience, but ultimately, our main goal is public safety,” he noted. “We’d like to thank the public for the cooperation that they had with us.”
Ross also highlighted the multi-agency response that made the resolution possible. “We worked in conjunction with Estevan Police Service, the JTST team, Estevan K-9, crisis negotiators, tactical commanders, and critical incident commanders,” he said. He also thanked Weyburn EMS, RCMP officers, and City of Weyburn staff for logistical support, such as setting up barricades.
While such critical incidents are rare in Weyburn, Ross said local officers are trained to handle them. “We do tabletop exercises and scenario training… so we can be prepared and keep the city of Weyburn safe.”