By Ethan Ready

reported assault

Police incident near Hazelton safely concluded

Jun 28, 2020 | 12:51 PM

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.

According to RCMP, the man and woman exited the residence at approximately 2:15 p.m. The man was safely taken into custody without further incident by the Emergency Response Team. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident. The RCMP state the man is being medically held for further assessment.

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After a subsequent search of the residence, police officers did not locate any firearms. The investigation is ongoing and the man is facing potential charges.