Pellet gun sparks Euphemia Street standoff, court told

earthpressnews
Pellet gun sparks Euphemia Street standoff court told

A pellet gun that looked like a shotgun is allegedly what sparked a lengthy standoff with the Sarnia police emergency response team outside an apartment building.

PostedApr 26, 2023 • 2 minute read

Sarnia police are shown at the corner of Davis and Euphemia Streets Tuesday morning. Police said in a statement there was an incident in the area of ​​125 Euphemia St.
Sarnia police are shown at the corner of Davis and Euphemia Streets Tuesday morning. Police said in a statement there was an incident in the area of ​​125 Euphemia St. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

A pellet gun that looked like a shotgun is allegedly what sparked a lengthy standoff with the Sarnia police emergency response team outside an apartment building.

After urging the public to avoid the Euphemia Street area Tuesday morning amid reports of a suspect with a gun – neighbors were told to go inside and a construction site had to be shut down – Sarnia police said they arrested a man. Police declined to identify the suspect, saying the case was still being investigated.

Sarnia police officers enter an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St. Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an “ongoing incident.” (Paul Morden/The Observer)
Sarnia police officers enter an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St. Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an “ongoing incident.” (Paul Morden/The Observer) Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

But court records show Todd Graham-Grey, 35, was arrested Tuesday and charged with carrying a firearm for a dangerous purpose and failing to comply with probation. The Sarnia resident was brought before the courts Wednesday and told about the new charges.

“The firearm’s a BB gun, man,” Graham-Grey responded from the courtroom’s prisoner’s box while wearing a camouflage-coloured hoodie. “It’s not a firearm.”

“It was later determined that the firearm is a pellet-style BB gun,” assistant Crown attorney Michael Donald said to justice of the peace Helen Gale.

An armed police officer stands outside an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St., in Sarnia Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an ongoing incident.
An armed police officer stands outside an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St., in Sarnia Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an ongoing incident. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

But Donald still called the alleged incident very serious during a brief verbal recap, which wasn’t covered by a publication ban. The court heard Graham-Grey allegedly was seen carrying what appeared to be a shotgun or a long-barrelled firearm from the corner of Davis and Brock streets into the lobby of a Euphemia Street apartment, which is less than 200 meters away.

Police were called and the emergency response team came in, leading to the standoff. It ended with Graham-Grey’s arrest after he allegedly left the apartment carrying the weapon wrapped in a sweater.

The allegations haven’t been tested in court.

A man stands on the balcony of an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St., in Sarnia Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an ongoing incident.
A man stands on the balcony of an apartment building at 125 Euphemia St., in Sarnia Tuesday morning. Sarnia police issued a statement asking the public to avoid the area because of an ongoing incident. Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer

Graham-Grey has previous convictions for firearms-related offences. Donald said as of Wednesday the Crown is opposed to bail and a significant plan will need to be put in place due, in part, to his prior record. Graham-Grey, who didn’t have a lawyer with him, agreed to have his case adjourned to next week.

Access to the neighborhood reopened by 1 pm Tuesday after being blocked throughout Tuesday morning. Residents of a neighboring College Avenue apartment building said they’d heard officers tell people in the parking lot to go inside around 10:30 am Activity paused at a nearby road construction site after police arrived, they said.

-with files from Paul Morden

[email protected]

@ObserverTerry

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Join the Conversation



    pso1