One man is dead following an altercation and shooting involving a number of Nanaimo RCMP members Friday morning.

As of press time Friday, Mounties had not released further details of the incident, which occurred shortly before 7 a.m. at an apartment building at 531 Selby St., near downtown Nanaimo.

Police responded to a disturbance at the location, which ultimately led to the shooting outside the front of the building.

William Overnes, 41, a resident of an adjacent apartment building, said he had just woken up and was getting ready for breakfast when he heard yelling followed by gunfire.

“I was on my balcony and saw two police with guns drawn hiding behind a cement barricade. They told me to go inside,” said Overnes. “Then I heard at least one full clip emptied.”

Overnes added he heard “arguing and yelling” before the shots were fired.

One first floor resident at 505 Selby St., who asked not to be identified, said he was looking outside his window at 6:56 a.m. and counted eight officers with guns drawn.

“There was half a dozen shots,” he said. “From what I heard, I understood the guy they shot was armed with a revolver. I could hear the police radio.”

The witness added that a single police cruiser had visited the apartment block Thursday evening to deal with a complaint regarding a disturbance by “wild party animal types” on the third floor. Police did not confirm that information.

RCMP forensic investigators had one block of Selby Street closed to traffic and were investigating the primary crime scene, and collecting evidence from at least two secondary scenes.

The covered body remained on a driveway between apartments at 525 and 531 Selby St. for several hours while police investigated.

reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com