Vancouver Police arrested a man wanted on an outstanding mental health warrant after a four-hour standoff on Kingsway following threats involving a knife.
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On November 11 at approximately 1:20 p.m., Vancouver Police received a report of a man walking along Kingsway near Miller Street threatening pedestrians, police said. The caller reported the man was carrying a large knife and saw him enter a nearby residential building.
Responding officers reviewed CCTV footage from the area, which police said confirmed the man’s identity and showed a large knife on his left hip as he returned to his suite. Police also determined he was wanted on an outstanding mental health warrant.
Because of immediate safety concerns for both the man and the public, officers established grounds to arrest him for possession of a dangerous weapon and the outstanding warrant. Over the next four hours, negotiators attempted to persuade the man to exit the suite peacefully.
Shortly before 7 p.m., following tactical intervention by the Emergency Response Team, the man exited the suite and surrendered. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to hospital for assessment under his mental health warrant.
Constable Darren Wong said, “When someone armed with a weapon is in crisis, our top priority is always resolving the situation peacefully while keeping the surrounding community safe.” He added that officers spent four hours working to bring the matter to a safe conclusion and that specialized units helped ensure the man was taken into custody without anyone getting hurt so he could receive medical care.
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