A man is in custody charged with several firearms related offences following a standoff with police that occurred at a Medicine Hat home on January 8, 2022.

On January 8, 2022, at approximately 3:00 PM, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service attended to a home the 0-100 block of Northlands Cres NE after receiving a report that Barry Reed, a 67-year-old male, was in possession of a handgun and had been involved in a dispute with a woman in the residence.

Patrols arrived on scene and were able to assist the woman safely from the residence. Reed remained in inside and at one point exited the house and went into the garage with a handgun. He was advised by police that he was under arrest but ignored commands and instead waived his handgun at the attending officers before fleeing back into the residence.

Members of the MHPS Tactical Team and Negotiators took over control of the scene and observed Reed walking around throughout the residence with a handgun in hand and refusing to follow any directions by police.

At approximately 7:45 pm, Reed came out of the house into the open garage and once again pointed his handgun again at police. Several less lethal rounds were deployed by police striking Reed twice. Reed then fired his gun at members of the Tactical Team hitting the MHPS Armoured Rescue Vehicle. Reed then tried to barricade himself within the garage, but several tactics were utilized by the Tactical Team resulting in Reed being taken safely into custody. Reed was transported to hospital for treatment of minor physical injuries and released a short time later a was transported to MHPS holding cells.

Reed has been remanded into custody, charged with numerous offences including Uttering Threats, Careless Storage of a Firearm, Pointing a Firearm, Assault with a Weapon, Possession of Weapon Dangerous, Reckless Discharging of a Firearm and Using a Firearm in the Commission of an Offense. His next court appearance set for January 12, 2022.

The MHPS would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation during this high-risk situation. With the use of specialized equipment and training, including less lethal weapon options and the Armoured Rescue Vehicle, officers were able to bring this incident to a safe resolution without injuries or loss of life for the victim, residents in the area, police or the accused.

Media Contact:

S/Sgt Darcy Brandt
Criminal Investigation Section
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8416