Standoff at Surrey Bank resolved 6 hours after reported robbery

A police standoff that lasted for six hours at aTD Canada Trust bank in Newton in the 13600blockof72ndAve is over.

SurreyRCMPsaid anadult male was hiding on the top floor of the bank. Heis now in custodybut charges have not been laid.

An emergency response team was insidethe bank for nearly 30 minutes before officers were finally seen walking out with the man.

The bank is expected to remain closed until 6 p.m. PT.

Nearby streets which were closed,72ndAvenue from King George Boulevardto138thStreet, areexpected to reopen by 5 p.m. PT.

Throughout the day, aheavy police presence was seen around the bankwhere it was believed a male robbery suspectwas hiding.

Police sent a robot into the bank but did not say if contact had beenmade with the suspect.

The incident began Tuesday morning whenSurrey RCMP received multiplecalls abouta robbery in progress just after 8:30 a.m. PT.

In a released statement they said thatall staff and customers had beenevacuated and additional police resources had been called in.

A woman who works a block away told CBC News shortly after the standoff began,she saw "a lot of police with big guns" on the scene.

Transit in the area wasalso heavily affected with the location of the incident just blocks away from the Newton bus loop.

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Many of the businesses in the immediate area were evacuated and a receptionist at the nearby Newton Wave Pool said the facility remainedopen, although people were not able to come or gobecause their cars were parked in a lotwhich was behind police tape. Between 40 and 50 patronswerestuck at the pool.

Police are asking motorists, pedestrians and transit users to stay out of the area.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at604-599-0502or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS orsolvecrime.ca.

Approximate location of incident