A standoff in Kitchener has ended with the arrest of a 62-year-old man
Posted Mar 11, 2015 03:05:21 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The standoff started after the man was lighting fires on his balcony, and threatening neighbours.
Fire crews and police were called to the apartment on Kingswood Drive facing Homer Watson.
Additional crews were called when the man threatened emergency responders.
“We did evacuate a couple of the residents from this location while we negotiated with the male inside,” says Inspector Shaena Morris. “Our original information was the man did have weapons on him. We were concerned for the safety of some of the students in the area who may have been leaving at the time for lunch.”
St. Mary’s High School, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Elementary School and Alpine Public School were all put on hold and secure. There was never any danger to those students. Everyone evacuated from the apartment has been allowed back inside.
Police used forcibly entry after about three hours at around 2:30 p.m. Morris says they had their trained negotiator on the scene, with their tactical team.
Morris couldn’t say if the man had any mental health issues.
“I can’t speak to the motive in this at this point. Certainly there is privacy issues and things that come with that, that I can’t talk about at this time,” says Morris.
Police did find edged weapons inside the apartment, but no firearms. The investigation is ongoing, and police wouldn’t say what else they found inside the apartment.
Morris says the 62-year-old man will face charges of uttering thefts, arson, and endangering life.
