A situation involving a woman with a knife may have been safely resolved on Wednesday, but it was unsettling for some of the folks in the downtown building.
The New Westminster Police Department received a 911 call at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1 from staff at Yorkville University on Sixth Street. A caller told police that a woman, who was not a student at the post-secondary school, was armed with a knife – and students and staff feared for their safety.
In a May 1 news release, the NWPD said patrol officers prioritized the safety of staff and students, instructing them to leave the building.
“Patrol officers engaged in de-escalation techniques with the armed woman, with the aim of having her safely taken into police custody,” said the news release. “After some time, the Integrated Emergency Response Team arrived, and the woman eventually cooperated with police instructions.”
The woman was safely arrested; charges related to mischief and threats are being considered.
The incident was terrifying for some of the folks who were in the building, including a student at another college in the building.
“I was stuck in my school not knowing if there was a shooting, or a bomb, or a stabbing, and there were, like, 10 police with guns and K9 unit outside,” Kayla Regnier-Ryan said on a NWPD Facebook post. “I didn’t feel safe, I didn’t know what was going on. I’m allowed to wish we were given more information, and I’m especially allowed to inform people that not everyone in the building was told to leave.”
The NWPD news release stated police had instructed students to leave the building, but that was not the case for all of the folks in the building at 88 Sixth St.
“You did not tell us to leave. We were all stuck in the building with her. We were told to stay away from windows and not go to the bathroom or leave the building,” Regnier-Ryan wrote on a Facebook post from the New Westminster Police Department. “We weren’t updated whatsoever on what was going on and were all terrified. I don’t think this was handled well at all.”
Responding on Facebook to Regnier-Ryan’s comments, the NWPD stated it understood this may have been “upsetting and an inconvenience” for some people in the building. It provided contact information for its Victim Assistance Unit and a link to a website where complaints can be made.
The Record later spoke to NWPD Sgt. Andrew Leaver about the student’s concerns.
“We understand that when there is a crime scene or a situation that is unfolding, especially a dynamic, high-risk one like the one we encountered yesterday at Yorkville, that people are going to be inconvenienced, scared, and that’s something that goes along with these types of situations, unfortunately,” he told the Record on Thursday. “Our priority in those situations is always going to be public safety, and safely resolving the situation.”
If the police department has the resources to be able to provide more information, it will do so, said Leaver, but the priority is to resolve the situation safely.
“So, unfortunately, at times there may be people left in the dark. If they are sheltering in place, that is for their safety,” he said. “Sometimes the next update they get – or maybe the only update they are going to get – is when the situation is safe and resolved, and they can go about their business again.”
Leaver did not have specifics about who had been told to remain inside the building and who had been told to leave during Wednesday’s incident. He noted there are a number of businesses in the building.
“I know there were people within Yorkville University, where the incident unfolded, that were told to leave for their safety, whereas others may have been told to shelter in place,” he said. “That, I can’t speak to specifically.”
Leaver encourages anyone who may have been affected by Wednesday’s incident to call the NWPD’s Victim Assistance Unit.
“They are there to support them,” he said. “I understand that these situations can be terrifying for people, especially when you don’t have all the information. If they do want to talk to somebody, if they do want support, our Victim Assistance Unit is here to help.”
Witnesses can access the services of the New Westminster Police Department Victim Assistance Unit by calling 604-529-2525 or emailing [email protected].
