The chair of Moncton’s police authority is praising Codiac RCMP for their response to a report of a man walking down Katherine Avenue Sunday morning with what appeared to be a firearm.
Officers set up blockades and canvassed homes in the area for several hours as they investigated the complaint.
Police said there were no further sightings of the suspect and the blockades have since been removed.
The chair of the policing authority, Nick Leblanc, says Codiac RCMP’s large, coordinated response was on point.
“Within 10 minutes, they had the perimeter closed off and they had other members coming in and whatnot. To me, it was textbook,” says LeBlanc.
Criminology professor Marie-Andrée Pelland says the community's response to the report of a gunman was very much shaped by the events of June 4, 2014.
“Now what we have to think about is the fear that citizens will have to go about their everyday life,” says Pelland. “Is there a real threat in Moncton about another June 4th?”
With social media amplifying the message, resident Doug Forbes says that fear is real.
“It is bringing all this stuff back to light and we are trying to get past this and every time something like this happens, it just stirs everyone back up again,” says Forbes.
Jody Squires and his family went grocery shopping Sunday morning, but when they tried to return to their house off Katherine Avenue police were everywhere.
“I was scared because I have kids,” says Squires. “Everybody who has kids, they really don't want anything to happen to them.”
Police are not providing details, but say the investigation continues.
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell
