So I'm walking downtown after work, having decided to do a spot of shopping at the Rideau Centre. I'm walking down Wellington, the street that runs past the Parliament buildings, having cut over from Rideau, and I'm just across the street from the Chateau Laurier.[1]
A police car, headed in the direction of Parliament, suddenly pulls a U-ey[2] and starts heading down Wellington towards Rideau. I think nothing of it; Rideau Street and the Market area can be a tough part of town,[3] and it's also rush hour. Could be anything.
Crossing over the river and then in front of the convention centre, I see the same police car, now pulled roughly in front a small grey car. A Canada Post truck is stopped behind the grey car. Ahh, that explains it : an accident.
But then I realize the driver of the grey car is lying face down, arms spread wide, on the ground near the back of his car. Huh?
And standing a few feet away, a police officer, his gun fully drawn and pointed at the guy. Oh shit.
Though dying of curiosity, I and a few like-minded passers-by decided to just keep walking. There was a gun involved, for heaven's sake. You don't stop to look, just in case.
I went down into the underpass[4] and when I got back up, at the corner just before Rideau, there were 3 or 4 other police cars, sirens and lights ablaze, pulling on to the scene.
In the middle of rush hour! In the middle of Ottawa!!! Obviously I moved to Orleans not a moment too soon.
[1] This description is mainly for the benefit of those of you who know Ottawa, at least a little bit. For the rest of ya, come visit and I'll show you where it all goes down!
[2] God, I say that all the time, but how do you actually spell it?
[3] Again, this is Ottawa, so I use the word "tough" loosely.
[4] Yet again, the mental image will only be clear for those from (or heaven forbid, those intimately familiar with) Ottawa. (It's a really well-known underpass, and was recently the source of much controversy when city council decided to erect a fence down there, blocking off the part of it that had become very popular with homeless and beggars and other such "undesirables" as a place to get out of the cold for a while.
4 comments:
So what was it about? Did it make the news?
Meh - follow-up is for losers.
Actually, I don't know because I don't have a TV (hooked up to cable, that is), and I didn't remember to look online yesterday, and now there is nothing I can see about it on the internet.
I'm taking you up on your offer. Take me for a tour, show me where the gun was drawn and the gangster spread-eagled. I'm specially looking forward to crossing the newly re-located "river", where the Rideau Canal used to be.
doh! you got me, Waterlily - I indeed meant that I'd just crossed the canal. All area rivers are otherwise accounted for, in their proper geographic locations.
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