Spoolmak
November 8th, 2008, 11:22 PM
Standoff in Sahali: Man gives himself up after tense incident that lasted seven hours
by Jason Hewlett
What appeared to be a hostage taking that began with window smashing and threats at a Sahali housing complex early Friday ended with a man and a boy walking out.
The standoff ended just after 10 a.m. when the 32-year-old man, whom police have not identified, walked out of Unit 17 at the Spencer Court complex on Summit Drive. He was taken to the ground by RCMP and led away in handcuffs.
Dressed in a blue hoodie, a 10-year-old boy who had been with him all night walked out after and was led away by police.
The building was surrounded by emergency response team members clad in body armour. A hostage negotiator was used to communicate with the man and boy inside the home.
Hours earlier, two younger siblings and their mother had left the townhouse, leaving only an estranged boyfriend and the boy inside.
Police said the man has an extensive criminal record.
Cst. Cheryl Bush said police are looking at charges of break and enter, assault on two people and uttering threats.
While police treated it as a hostage taking, there are suggestions the boy may have remained inside through his own decision or fear of police outside.
“To characterize it as that (hostage taking) is premature,” Bush said.
“We don’t have information on threats to the children. We have information on threats to police.”
The man said he had weapons, but Bush said she did not have information confirming a weapon had been found.
A neighbour who lives directly across from the unit said she awoke to the sounds of smashing glass in the early morning. The family had moved into the unit the day before, she said.
“He broke all the windows in the unit,” said the woman, who declined to identify herself. “He was yelling and saying it was a hostage situation.”
The entire complex was evacuated several hours after police were called at 3 a.m. Residents were moved to Heritage House by a City transit bus organized by emergency social services.
Bush said the mother and one child left the house when police arrived. That was followed by the second child leaving soon after.
Police communicated with both the man and boy through a loud speaker and by telephone. They brought food to the house and relatives were put on the telephone in an attempt to persuade the man to leave the house.
The seven-hour standoff resulted in neighbouring South Sahali elementary school and a daycare across the street being closed for the day.
Police blocked off Summit Drive on both ends, turning around commuters heading to work.
I was driving down Summit yesterday morning at 8 thinking, what the hell is going on ? For a second I thought there might have been a bomb scare at the elementary school.
Thats pretty messed up though.
by Jason Hewlett
What appeared to be a hostage taking that began with window smashing and threats at a Sahali housing complex early Friday ended with a man and a boy walking out.
The standoff ended just after 10 a.m. when the 32-year-old man, whom police have not identified, walked out of Unit 17 at the Spencer Court complex on Summit Drive. He was taken to the ground by RCMP and led away in handcuffs.
Dressed in a blue hoodie, a 10-year-old boy who had been with him all night walked out after and was led away by police.
The building was surrounded by emergency response team members clad in body armour. A hostage negotiator was used to communicate with the man and boy inside the home.
Hours earlier, two younger siblings and their mother had left the townhouse, leaving only an estranged boyfriend and the boy inside.
Police said the man has an extensive criminal record.
Cst. Cheryl Bush said police are looking at charges of break and enter, assault on two people and uttering threats.
While police treated it as a hostage taking, there are suggestions the boy may have remained inside through his own decision or fear of police outside.
“To characterize it as that (hostage taking) is premature,” Bush said.
“We don’t have information on threats to the children. We have information on threats to police.”
The man said he had weapons, but Bush said she did not have information confirming a weapon had been found.
A neighbour who lives directly across from the unit said she awoke to the sounds of smashing glass in the early morning. The family had moved into the unit the day before, she said.
“He broke all the windows in the unit,” said the woman, who declined to identify herself. “He was yelling and saying it was a hostage situation.”
The entire complex was evacuated several hours after police were called at 3 a.m. Residents were moved to Heritage House by a City transit bus organized by emergency social services.
Bush said the mother and one child left the house when police arrived. That was followed by the second child leaving soon after.
Police communicated with both the man and boy through a loud speaker and by telephone. They brought food to the house and relatives were put on the telephone in an attempt to persuade the man to leave the house.
The seven-hour standoff resulted in neighbouring South Sahali elementary school and a daycare across the street being closed for the day.
Police blocked off Summit Drive on both ends, turning around commuters heading to work.
I was driving down Summit yesterday morning at 8 thinking, what the hell is going on ? For a second I thought there might have been a bomb scare at the elementary school.
Thats pretty messed up though.