Schools locked down, neighbourhood cordoned off before
police made arrest
Ryan Cormier
The Edmonton Journal
Source
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
EDMONTON - A five-hour standoff Monday ended with
the arrest of a man police allege went on a city crime rampage on the weekend, including at least two armed robberies, two high-speed pursuits, one carjacking and a
shooting incident.
"Thankfully, the gentleman who caused us a lot of grief over the past few days is in custody," said Sgt. Chris Hayden after the ordeal ended
late Monday afternoon.
Heavily armed officers surrounded a house at 13511 116B Ave. about 11 a.m. after a tip that Troy Stuart Mack, 26, was inside. An estimated 40 officers descended on the Woodcroft
neighbourhood, including a bomb unit and snipers.
Two area schools were placed under a lockdown and a three-square-block area was cordoned off by police. Spike strips were laid around the area to head off any attempt by the suspect to flee in a vehicle.
Residents wanting to enter their homes within the blocked-off area required a police escort.
After phone calls into the house didn't establish communication, police about 4
p.m. launched a "flash-bang" device into the house, emitting a loud noise to scare the suspect.
The tactic apparently worked. Mack surrendered shortly afterwards.
Mack was originally arrested on Sept. 26 and charged with nine offences after a man attempted to run down a police officer while escaping from a break and enter at a photography store. Mack was later released on $1,000 bail.
Then police started looking for Mack in connection with a series of crimes on Saturday.
A house break-in was reported at 9 a.m., followed by a high-speed chase, culminating in two armed robberies around 7: 30 p.m. During the pursuit, a man stole a black Ford Explorer at gunpoint.
A Source Adult Video outlet at 12930 97th St. was robbed of its cash register contents by a man with a gun. Minutes later, an armed man entered Calder Foods at 11902 129th Ave., firing three shots into the ceiling and wrestling with an employee before fleeing.
Police believe one man was responsible for Saturday's crimes.
Chauffe Wingrove, 23, who lives in her mother's house where Mack apparently took refuge in the garage Monday, emerged from the home almost two hours after the neighbourhood was cordoned off. She expressed surprise
at being greeted by police and police dogs, explaining she had no idea Mack was in the garage.
Wingrove, who acknowledged Mack was a friend, said she left the home to attend a meeting at about 1 p.m.
"I choked up because I'm scared of dogs," she said.
Wingrove said she has been friends with Mack for six years, but never found him to be a dangerous man during the sporadic times they saw each other.
"He always comes to me for help," she said. "He just always comes to me when he needs something."
Wingrove's sister, Rhianna Wingrove, 18, was also in the house Monday morning, but she left for work in a cab at 11 a.m. She said she didn't know Mack was on the property until police told her later when she was at work.
The Wingroves said their garage is usually locked and they don't know how
Mack might have gotten in.
Rhianna Wingrove said she didn't like the way Mack treated her sister. "He
always hopped in and out of her life."
While the standoff occurred, the nearby St. Mark's Junior High and Woodcroft Elementary were locked down. Between the two schools, 329 students were kept inside and not allowed to leave unless accompanied by a parent or riding
a bus.
Charges are expected to be laid against Mack today.
Hayden said he hoped Mack would now stay in police custody. The effort to find him had been "an incredible cost on our manpower," he said.
rcormier@thejournal.canwest.com
. . . . . . . .
Wingrove Makes The Line Up
Oct 9 2003 Coventry UK
Source
Teenager Jamie
Wingrove made the line up in one of the top pony show
jumping titles in Britain held at the world famous Horse of the Year
Show, now in it’s second year at a new venue at the NEC,
Birmingham.
The Southam
15-year-old was among those who qualified to compete in the Blue
Chip Junior Newcomers Championships – for which over 5,000
entrants had started out on the qualifying trail – open to riders
aged 16 and under on ponies of 14.2hh or less. A total of 24 ponies
started out in the first round of the final, but just seven went
clear to make the timed jump-off.
Wingrove was among
them on his grey pony Murphy’s Flight who, at just six, was one of
the youngest and least experienced in the class.
“Jamie was drawn
third against the clock and was very unlucky when he had the first
fence down,” explained mum Mrs. Fiona
Wingrove. “This left him in seventh place but we
were really pleased, as the pony is very green and did great to get
to Birmingham.”
Jamie also went well
at last month’s Festival of Show Jumping at Arena UK,
Lincolnshire, the end of season national championships for British
Show Jumping Association members. He won the Restricted Open
Championship, where 11 or the 60 starters made a very competitive
jump-off.
“This was on Triple
Echo, a 14.2hh piebald mare Jamie has only been riding for five
months,” continued Mrs. Wingrove.
“He was third to go
in the jump-off and just went for – this pony has a short stride
so the twisty sections of the course suited her. His prize for
winning was a BSJA Training Scholarship with one of the top
accredited trainers – he might go to international rider Peter
Murphy for this.”
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