Aug. 31 standoff suspect held for bail hearing
Andrew Jim Roberts, 39, of Maugerville, arrested after six-hour standoff that locked down Crocket Street/Pettigrove Crescent area last week, city police force reports
A police operation that locked down a Marysville neighbourhood in Fredericton last week was the result of a man reportedly armed and barricaded inside a home, the city police force says.
Fredericton Police Force officers responded en masse to the area of Crocket Street and Pettigrove Crescent the morning of Aug. 31.
The neighbourhood was locked down for hours, with officers on the scene with firearms drawn. The police force advised people through social media that day to avoid the area, and later advised when the area was reopened to public access.
However, it wasn’t clear at the time what prompted the response, though the police force indicated at one point during the operation there was no threat to public safety.
The police force issued a news release Thursday morning, a week after the incident, indicating officers were responding to a report of an armed suspect inside a home in the area.
“On Aug. 31, 2023, the Fredericton Police Force responded to a call on the city’s north side for an individual who was armed and barricaded,” the release said.
“A police operation was initiated around 8:05 a.m. and, after six hours, the individual was arrested without incident.”
As a result, it said, Andrew Jim Roberts, 39, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Sept. 1.
While Thursday’s news release indicates Roberts is from Fredericton, information in the court file, which comes from the police, lists his place of residence as Copperhead Lane in Maugerville.
The defendant now faces eight counts as a result of the events of Aug. 31. They are:
possessing weapons - a camo sawed-off 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a black CO2 revolver handgun for the purpose of committing an offence,
possessing a prohibited weapon (the shotgun) knowing he wasn’t the holder of a licence or registration certificate for it,
possessing that prohibited shotgun without a licence,
storing the shotgun improperly,
possessing the unloaded shotgun with readily accessible ammunition making it capable of being discharged,
possessing the shotgun, revolver and an American Classic pellet gun while prohibited from doing so by a court order,
uttering a threat to Jessica LaPointe to cause her death or bodily harm,
and assaulting LaPointe.
The Crown objected to Roberts’ release Sept. 1, and he was remanded pending a bail hearing, scheduled for Sept. 18.
The police force news release indicated the investigation is ongoing, as it’s asking anyone with information about the standoff and its circumstances to call 506-460-2300. Those wishing to provide information anonymously can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.