CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — City police say they used tear gas to help to ensure a safer outcome during a drug raid at a Charlottetown inn on Feb. 25.
"It's becoming one of the best practices for this type of instance," Charlottetown Police Services' Deputy Chief Brad McConnell said in an interview on Friday.
McConnell noted that tear gas was determined to be warranted in this ongoing drug investigation because police – which consisted of the city's Priority Tactical Response Team – were aware there were weapons on site.
Police were acting on a search warrant for the Inn on the Harbour on the corner of Hillsborough and Water streets. It resulted in two individuals residing there, a 27-year-old female and a 34-year-old male, being charged as well as drugs, cash and weapons being seized.
WHAT WAS SEIZED:
• 120 grams of crystal meth (approximate street value of $18,000)
• 251 tablets/capsules of various prescription pills such as hydromorphone, Ritalin, Alprazolam and Zolpidem.
• 109 grams of cannabis
• $7,900 cash
• Replica firearm and machete
• Scale and other packaging materials
The raid occurred over the noon hour, and police officers were on site for several hours afterward. Parts of the streets were blocked by emergency vehicles for a time, and some officers were armed and wearing gas masks.
The tear gas was deployed into a single unit, but there was at least one other tenant in the building at the time. The tenant, who requested to remain anonymous, said she was asleep and had been woken up when the police entered the property.
"When they came in, they rushed the place," she said. "They meant serious business, they weren't messing around."
She was unaffected by the tear gas, but she was scared, she said.
"I was anxious to get out of there, I couldn't leave," she said. "I didn't think that would have happened here."
Charlottetown police don't often use tear gas, but because of the on-site weapon the Response Team determined it would be most effective in keeping the raid controlled and everyone involved safe, including the accused, McConnell said.
"It forces the (accused) out of the residence, as opposed to exposing officers to increased risk going in."
CHARGES PENDING:
• Five counts of CDSA 5(2) possession for the purpose of trafficking
• Possession of a weapon
• Breach of probation
As well, measures were taken to ensure other tenants in the building were not harmed, and there were paramedics on standby in the event of tear gas cross-exposure. McConnell credits the police officer's proper training to ensure the raid was conducted safely, he said.
"(And) to make sure it was intended for the people it was intended for," he said. "The best possible outcome was the outcome."
No injuries were reported. Afterward, police posted a notice on the front door of the inn stating that tear gas had been used on the property and any chemical agent leftover was to be cleaned at the inn owner's expense.
The Guardian contacted the Inn at the Harbour, but the owner was unable to speak to the incident because they didn't have much more information other than what was publicly available.
Daniel Brown is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. Twitter.com/dnlbrown95
With files from Rafe Wright/Special the The Guardian
