WINNIPEG -- Residents in the city’s west-end woke up early Sunday morning to a heavy police presence in the area.

Witnesses said officers descended on a home in the 300 block of Toronto Street and that an armored vehicle was on scene.

Derek Sutton lives on the main floor of the home Winnipeg Police Service surrounded.

He said he woke up to the sound of sirens, police banging on the upstairs neighbour’s door and someone getting arrested.

“Then they yelled inside for somebody else to come out,” Sutton told CTV News.“This is the Winnipeg Tactical Response Unit, we know you’re inside. We know who you are. Your friends told us about it, so come out with your hands up, drop the weapon," he recalled.

Sutton said he heard glass break and saw police fire something through the windows of the upstairs suite.

He called 911 to inform police he and his wife were inside the house as well.

The emergency operator said WPS would knock on his door to help get them out. 

“I opened the doors and there was a tactical tank looking vehicle parked right up to my porch,” said Sutton. “Two armed guys, cops with assault rifles. (They) said ‘get in the van, get in the truck!’”

He said they took him to police headquarters downtown until the incident was resolved.

Michelle Burkowski lives next door to Sutton and told CTV News she saw three people come out of the house, but one person stayed inside.

She said the individual came out around 4 am, after police sprayed something into the home.

WPS said early Sunday morning officers became involved in a firearms-related incident.

Soon after a nearby house became the focus of the investigation.

A number of people were taken into custody and the matter is being investigated by the major crimes unit.

Burkowski said this part of the west-end is a great neighbourhood, but the rental property next door to her has had a revolving door of tenants, and it’s been the source of ongoing issues over the years.

“Fantastic neighbours aside from one house, and that’s the unfortunate thing is that this one house impacts a hundred other people,” said Burkowski.

Sutton said he was caught in the middle of something he had nothing to do with.

“I try to keep quiet, keep our heads on straight, keep our nose to the ground, and (we still) get stuck in the middle of it.”