Standoff at Surrey Bank resolved 6 hours after reported robbery
RCMP say a man was hiding in top floor of a TD Bank in Newton
A police standoff that lasted for six hours at a TD Canada Trust bank in Newton in the 13600 block of 72nd Ave is over.
Surrey RCMP said an adult male was hiding on the top floor of the bank. He is now in custody but charges have not been laid.
An emergency response team was inside the bank for nearly 30 minutes before officers were finally seen walking out with the man.
The bank is expected to remain closed until 6 p.m. PT.
Nearby streets which were closed, 72nd Avenue from King George Boulevard to 138th Street, are expected to reopen by 5 p.m. PT.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SurreyRCMP">@SurreyRCMP</a> tweet “1 male in custody.” Here’s the moment they exited the bank. ERT was inside for 30 mins. <a href="https://t.co/TJAPXhDBGY">pic.twitter.com/TJAPXhDBGY</a>
—@raffertybakerThroughout the day, a heavy police presence was seen around the bank where it was believed a male robbery suspect was hiding.
Police sent a robot into the bank but did not say if contact had been made with the suspect.
The incident began Tuesday morning when Surrey RCMP received multiple calls about a robbery in progress just after 8:30 a.m. PT.
In a released statement they said that all staff and customers had been evacuated and additional police resources had been called in.
A woman who works a block away told CBC News shortly after the standoff began, she saw "a lot of police with big guns" on the scene.
Transit in the area was also heavily affected with the location of the incident just blocks away from the Newton bus loop.
Many of the businesses in the immediate area were evacuated and a receptionist at the nearby Newton Wave Pool said the facility remained open, although people were not able to come or go because their cars were parked in a lot which was behind police tape. Between 40 and 50 patrons were stuck at the pool.
Police are asking motorists, pedestrians and transit users to stay out of the area.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS or solvecrime.ca.