One man is in police custody after barricading himself in a home in Nanaimo for several hours on the weekend.
According to police, events that led to the incident began to unfold Saturday, Feb. 1. Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, said police had been looking for an assault suspect. When officers tracked the suspect down to a home near the intersection of Jingle Pot Road and Monterey Drive on Sunday, Feb. 2, a standoff ensued that lasted several hours. Nanaimo RCMP closed Jingle Pot Road in both directions in the immediate area and called in the RCMP Emergency Response Team and a crisis negotiator.
“Given that person’s propensity for violence and the possibility that he may have firearms, ERT was called in and the area was secured,” O’Brien said. "With the assistance of our crisis negotiator and ERT, it came to a successful conclusion when the individual walked out and was taken into custody without incident."
O’Brien said there was no one else in the home at the time and no injuries were reported from the incident.
The 39-year-old suspect remains in custody and could face numerous charges including aggravated assault and uttering threats, as well as firearms charges because a gun was located in the home where he was located, police said.
