Police incident near Hazelton safely concluded

HAZELTON, B.C. – An incident in the community of Gitsegukla First Nation Reserve near Hazelton, BC, which prompted a large police presence, concluded safely with a 26-year-old man being taken into custody.

At approximately 3:40 a.m. on Saturday (June 27), New Hazelton RCMP were called to a residence for a report of an assault involving a man who was determined to be breaching court-imposed conditions for similar offences.

Upon arrival, officers encountered a distraught man who barricaded himself in the residence and claimed to be in possession of a rifle. A witness also advised police there was a woman inside.

For several hours, police made continuous attempts to de-escalate the situation with support from a Crisis Negotiator and a Critical Incident Commander. As a precaution, a dead-end road was temporarily blocked off and officers evacuated several neighbouring residents.