Wanted man barricades himself in Kitchener motel (update)
Waterloo Regional Police were on scene in the area of Weber Street East and Kinzie Avenue in Kitchener Tuesday, and now say one male has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Police located a vehicle belonging to a man wanted on several warrants around 9 a.m.
When police knocked on his door in the motel, the male occupant and a female occupant allegedly refused to leave and said they had firearms in the room.
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It was at that point the officers disengaged for public safety reasons and called in negotiators.
Members of the Emergency Response Team and police set up a command post.
WRPS Chief Bryan Larkin told The Mike Farwell Show on 570 NEWS, officers are at the Weber Inn dealing with, “a barricaded hostage who has firearms, who is wanted for intimate partner violence charges.”
“At this point, negotiation is ongoing,” said public information officer Ashley Dietrich at around 1:30 p.m. “At this time, we have information that both parties are refusing to leave. We're continuously negotiating at this time to resolve this incident.”
Dietrich said there was no information on whether the two were known to each other, though it is believed that the female resides in the motel.
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The two eventually exited the room with police around 2 p.m.
In an interview, a witness said the woman had been at the Inn for three days.
“I was told by the police to keep her room,” said the witness who only wished to be identified as “Sid.” “Yesterday she was supposed to leave, and the police, I think she must be with the police, and the constable said, 'Do you have her room?' And I said, 'Yes, we haven't checked her out yet.' So the person who works here after me gave the room back to her.”
Sid said the police asked him to allow her to keep the room even though he alleges he was not paid for the stay. He added that he'd seen the man and woman around the area often.
“I hope this doesn't happen to any business owner,” he lamented.
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As a result of the investigation a 38-year-old male has been charged with:
