An emergency situation in the Enfield area involving an armed man has been resolved as authorities took the individual into custody on Saturday afternoon.
The Nova Scotia RCMP reported that the apprehension occurred approximately two hours after the issuance of an emergency alert warning residents about a potentially dangerous individual with a firearm in the vicinity of Oldham Road and Rockcliffe Drive in Enfield. Community members were advised to remain indoors and secure their residences.
Although specific details surrounding the emergency alert were initially withheld by the RCMP, a subsequent news release on Tuesday shed light on the incident. According to the release, law enforcement received a tip about a man carrying a sawed-off shotgun on Oldham Road at 9:44 a.m. Upon heading to the reported location, authorities were informed that the individual had entered a Saturn SUV.
Following the vehicle’s discovery, attempts were made to intercept it; however, the SUV proceeded to a driveway located south of Old Cobequid Road on Oldham Road. A male passenger exited the vehicle and fled into nearby woods, while the female driver, a 51-year-old from Shubenacadie, was apprehended but later released without charges.
A police pursuit, aided by a K-9 unit, ensued as authorities issued an emergency alert. Local residents provided real-time sightings of the suspect, leading to the recovery of discarded clothing, brass knuckles, a shotgun shell casing, and personal identification belonging to the individual.
Subsequently, a remotely operated drone located the fleeing man along the Nine Mile River, culminating in his arrest on Highway 214 in Belnan at 1:07 p.m. The suspect, a resident of Shubenacadie, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is now facing multiple weapons-related charges.
Furthermore, a resident discovered the sawed-off shotgun and additional ammunition hidden along a logging road in the 200 block of Oldham Road on Tuesday.
Residents within the affected area were advised to remain indoors and secure their premises during the emergency alert. Roadblocks were implemented by law enforcement on Route 2 in Enfield, stretching from just north of the Big Stop to the intersection with Highway 214 in Elmsdale. Normal road operations resumed by 1:30 p.m.
One local resident, Francis Campbell, recounted being stranded in Elmsdale due to the road closure. He recounted receiving the emergency alert while at a grocery store, noting that law enforcement instructed individuals to remain in their vehicles until further notice.
The Halifax detachment of the RCMP had issued a public statement via social media, announcing an ongoing investigation into reports of an armed individual in the area, with no indication of shots being fired.