CANNING, N.S. — RCMP have a 39-year-old Kings County man in custody after shots were fired during an attempted robbery in Canning on Friday morning.
Kings RCMP were called to the Valley Credit Union branch on Seminary Avenue in the village at about 9:30 a.m.
A resident of a neighbouring building woke up as police cars arrived on the scene.
“I was standing right here and they were walking in with long guns,” said the man, who didn’t want to be identified.
It was 9:41 a.m., he said.
He said he didn’t hear a gunshot, but was told by someone that when the suspect left he pointed a firearm at a passerby.
“It’s pretty crazy,” he said, describing the village as quiet.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Lisa Croteau said no one was injured when the shots were fired, but she didn’t know if whether the shots were directed toward staff.
She didn’t know what prevented the man from making off with any money.
Witnesses gave a description of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving, and it wasn’t long before police had tracked the him to a duplex about 11 kilometres away on Highway 359 in Centreville, north of Kentville.
A neighbour there said her mother called at 9:51 a.m. to say there were police officers “everywhere” by the house.
At least seven police vehicles were on the scene there. “When I got home, they had a cruiser parked in front of my place and all I saw was them running with the rifles through the yards and down the road.”
She said one officer was next to her house.
“My mom asked him if we should be concerned, and he said, ‘You should go inside.’”
By about 10:15 a.m., the suspect was in custody.
“I heard them yelling, ‘Get on the ground,’” she said.
Croteau said the man was arrested without incident. He was still being questioned Friday afternoon, and was expected to appear before a justice of the peace to be remanded in custody until he can appear in provincial court Monday for a bail hearing.
No charges had been laid by late afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Kings District RCMP at 902-679-5555 or Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.
