So it’s the afternoon of Thursday, August 25th and I’m on the daily commute to collect the Boy when my cell rings and rudely interrupts my podcast. It’s a Calgary number but not one I recognise and would have typically ignored. For some reason, I decided to answer it. I recall this was because I was running late and thought it might have been the Daycare, asking where I was, although I wasn’t that late and it wasn’t near closing time. “This is Calgary Police Department, is this Mr Rant?” said a voice on the other end. “Yes, what’s this regarding?” was my response. I always like to go on the offence when I receive suspicious calls and one from the Police is suspicious (for me anyways). Also, there is an alarmingly high volume of scam calls received in Canada, typically someone claiming they’re from the CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency) and they inform you there’s a warrant out for your arrest. I do recall the first time this happened and my a*** going like a rabbits nose. I assumed it was something we’d overlooked on our immigration to Canada but quickly learned from Mrs Wife it was a scam. “What did you tell them? Please don’t tell me you gave them any details!”
Anyways, back to the Po Po call…the lady on the phone requested that if we are at home, we are to go to the Basement and remain there until further notice. They call this a “shelter in place” notice, usually reserved for when there’s an ‘incident’ occurring in the imminent locale. Reading between the lines there’s ultimately a lunatic on the run who’s most likely armed and dangerous. I was of course not at home but Mrs Wife and Mr Dog were. I immediately rang my Wife who actually answered for once. Mrs Wife has a habit of not answering the phone annoyingly…claims she doesn’t hear it. I share the information and also my paranoia that it may possibly be a scam. However, if it was a hoax to perhaps rob the house, surely they’d have asked us to vacate the premises, not hang around and potentially arm ourselves, all with a prior warning something was afoot. Mrs Wife tells me upon a quick glance that she can’t see any activity outside but for a mum pushing her stroller.
I then ring my neighbour and ask him if he’s received such a phone call but he hadn’t. Then, halfway through explaining my story, my neighbour shouts “HOLY F***! Damn, there’s a huge SWAT team and assault vehicle appeared outside with fully armoured police getting out with rifles…I gotta go call my Wife!” and with that he hung up and I quickly called Mrs Wife back. Before I can speak I hear “it’s not a scam, I can see the SWAT team here now!” At this point, Mrs Wife and Mr Dog head to the Basement and barricade the door. Meanwhile, I arrive at Daycare to collect the Boy all the while a complete panic inside. WTF is going on!!!
I’d been instructed not to return to the house and I was partially relived my Son was not at home and away from this threat but equally my Wife and Pup were stuck at home. Of course prioritising the welfare of our Son, I decided to drive safely back toward home but would keep my distance. Luckily, on my way back, Calgary’s finest rang me back and informed me the incident had been resolved and it was safe to return home. I immediately call Mrs Wife who has in turn been watching this unfold via the doorbell cam and subsequently sent me photos of what can only be described as something off CSI. Full on SWAT teams everywhere and highly armed. Who were they after and what had they done?
As updates started to come in from neighbours and a sense of safety restored, it seemed of course logical to then accumulate in someone’s yard for beers. We exchanged stories of our ordeal and rumours about the house in question, as we got a little tipsy and almost got to a point where it just seemed like any other ordinary day. In fact, for about a week after, things had resumed to normal right away, which is sort of good and bad depending how you look at it. Never good to live in fear or paranoia but equally were we all being too laid back about the situation, which was clearly extremely severe.
Maybe it was due to the fact that a crime, which occurred earlier in the year at the end of the street was deemed worse thus any further crimes of a lesser nature wouldn’t have the same impact. Almost like the most recent crime had been watered down in comparison.
The earlier crime I reference was where a family had been held at gun point by 2 crooks who had allegedly hit up the wrong address in search of money and drugs but were met with a family of 6 (2 parents and 4 children). But for one of the parents being able to dial 911 on the sligh, who knows what would have happened. Luckily the Police answered the call and showed up immediately and arrested those b*******.
This crime oddly did have one positive outcome in that it made me go and knock on some doors to introduce myself to some of our neighbours who we have since become friends with and got to know better. Sad how we have such busy lives that we never get to know people who live so close, only for such a horrific event to act as a catalyst to get your a*** into gear and go and introduce yourself. This also provided us with solidarity in that we are all looking out for each other. I often message them with things that are going on along with organising a BBQ here and there. It’s also nice that you can reach out to lend the odd tool you may not have, have someone to water your grass while you’re on vacation and of course have impromptu beers with. I feel I have actually brought back a little community to our street but just saddening it was on the back end of a traumatic experience that that family will never ever fully get over.
We also did get a media update on the event of August 25, which was made available for Public record. The nature of the arrest warrant was for someone who had been purchasing guns from a legitimate company but with fraudulent identity documents, likely obtained from breaking and entering other properties. 75 items were confiscated by the Police inclusive of replica firearms. Just the sort of person you want living on your street…
Unfortunately this entire event leaves you feeling extremely paranoid and to a certain extent in fear. For what is a lovely neighbourhood with great neighbours is also infiltrated by the odd rogue, the people no-one ever really knows. It’s akin to the Owner of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, who was the ultimate unsuspecting guy when the FBI finally arrested him, hiding in plain sight.
Hopefully this will be the end of our period of crime and sheltering in place!
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