A man experiencing a mental-health crisis with access to firearms was taken into custody Sunday after a four-hour standoff in Cedar, south of Nanaimo.
Crisis negotiators were called in after the incident was reported just after 11 a.m. at a rural home in the 1700-block of Nairne Road, drawing a response from Nanaimo RCMP and the RCMP Emergency Response Team.
Two family members left safely before police contained the home and escorted nearby residents from the area.
A crisis negotiator maintained contact with the man inside throughout the incident, and about 3 p.m. he was convinced to come out.
Once outside, he struggled briefly with officers before being apprehended under the Mental Health Act, and was transported to hospital for a psychiatric assessment.
No charges are pending but police plan to apply to have the firearms destroyed and ensure the man is prohibited from possessing firearms.
“We recognize that some residents were displaced and others were inconvenienced for a period of time,” said Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien. “Safety, however, is paramount for everyone involved, including our officers.
“Our sole objective was to resolve the situation peacefully.”
