A situation that started with a food delivery turned into a police standoff after RCMP were called to a home in Duncan.
On April 14, the North Cowichan Duncan RCMP were contacted by a Duncan resident who said they were concerned for a friend’s safety.
The resident had been delivering food to the friend, and noticed they were behaving oddly. The friend said they “were not OK” when asked, and the friend’s adult son then began yelling for them to leave.
Officers arrived at the residence shortly after 4 p.m. and were able to determine there were two people inside. However, they were unable to enter the residence, due to one of the occupants being agitated and denying them entry.
“The members made a decision to back away from the house to not rile the agitated man any more,” said North Cowichan RCMP Detachment commander Inspector Chris Bear.
“For the safety of all of those in the nearby area Cowichan Lake Road was blocked, and some nearby residents in an apartment were evacuated. The negotiators worked for almost three and a half hour to have the man exit the house on his own without success.”
Following the prolonged standoff, police made the decision to breach the entrance of the residence. After a brief struggle, the man was apprehended. He was later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and a full medical evaluation.
The RCMP say the homeowner was also in need of medical assistance, but had not suffered injuries stemming from the incident.
Investigators remained on scene following the incident. A search uncovered an unloaded firearm and several knives, which were seized.
Police said the friend did the right thing in contacting the authorities and thanked the public for their patience during the nearby road closures and evacuations.
