Latest news with #EmergencyResponseTeam
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Reported kidnapping was actually bachelor party prank, Victoria police say
The Victoria Police Department says it has released race-based use-of-force data for a six-year period after being ordered by the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner to share the statistics in November 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito A significant police response – including officers from the heavily armed emergency response team – was marshalled in response to reports of a potential kidnapping in Victoria last week. First responders fielded 'multiple' 911 calls about an alarming incident where 'a group of males had placed a bag over another man's head and were pulling him into a white van' near the courthouse on Thursday morning, according to the Victoria Police Department. 'Given the nature of the incident, its proximity to a high-security area, and corroborating eyewitness accounts, several VicPD investigative units, along with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were deployed to respond swiftly and thoroughly,' a statement from the department said. Police located the van, identified those involved and determined that no crime had taken place. 'A few hours later officers identified several individuals associated with the vehicle and determined that the situation was, in fact, just a bachelor party prank,' VicPD's statement continued. Authorities are warning people about the dangers of public pranks like this one, noting that this one wasted police resources and caused undue alarm. 'The initial reports led us to believe a violent kidnapping was in progress, requiring an immediate and significant response to a situation that turned out to be false,' VicPD Staff Sgt. Shawn Robson said. 'We are urging everyone to please be cognizant of how any prank will be viewed to others in our community.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
IIO investigating VPD arrest of man barricaded in SRO room for 6 hours
Investigators from B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office are seen in this file photo from the IIO. The agency that investigates police officers' use of force in B.C. is looking into an arrest that happened in a Vancouver single-room occupancy building earlier this week. The Vancouver Police Department said Wednesday that it was called to the Beacon Hotel on West Hastings Street around 10:45 that morning for a report that a man had pulled a gun inside the building. When officers arrived, the suspect – a visitor to the building – had barricaded himself inside a unit. More than 20 officers, including crisis negotiators and members of the Emergency Response Team, responded to the scene, eventually taking the man into custody after a six-hour standoff. Police said they deployed a Taser and a beanbag shotgun during the arrest, and the suspect 'received medical attention for minor injuries.' In a statement Friday, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said it was notified of the incident by the VPD on Wednesday, and has launched an investigation. The IIO is tasked with reviewing all police-related incidents in B.C. that result in death or serious harm to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. The IIO said the arrested man received treatment at a local hospital. Investigators are considering two factors as they begin looking into the case, the IIO said. First, they must determine whether the man's injuries meet the definition of 'serious harm' in the provincial Police Act, and second they must determine if there is a connection between the serious harm and police action or inaction. 'If there is a connection to police action or inaction and the person's serious harm or death, the chief civilian director will determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed,' the IIO statement reads.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Suspect arrested after 6-hour standoff in Vancouver SRO, police say
A decal on a Vancouver police cruiser is seen in this undated photo. A man was taken into custody after a six-hour standoff at a single-room occupancy building in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Wednesday. Officers were called to the Beacon Hotel on Hastings Street around 10:45 a.m. 'after a report that someone had pulled a gun inside the building,' the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release. 'When officers arrived, the armed suspect – a visitor to the building – had barricaded himself inside a room on the fourth floor,' the statement reads. More than 20 officers responded, including crisis negotiators and tactical officers from the Emergency Response Team, police said. Residents of the building – which provides housing for people with mental health and substance-use disorders, among other challenges – were evacuated as police attempted to negotiate with the suspect. The man was taken into custody shortly before 5 p.m., more than six hours after he barricaded himself into the room, according to police. The VPD said officers used a Taser and a beanbag shotgun during the arrest, and the suspect 'received medical attention for minor injuries.' The gun was recovered inside the suite and the investigation is ongoing, police said, adding that the suspect remains in custody.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Police at scene of barricade in Northeast DC
WASHINGTON () — Police in the District were at the scene of a barricade situation in Northeast D.C. on Memorial Day. Details remain limited, however, in a made on social media just before 5:15 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it was at the scene in the 1600-1700 block of West Virginia Avenue NE. DC police investigating Memorial Day triple shooting in Southeast MPD's Emergency Response Team was on its way to the scene. It was not clear how many people were involved in the barricade. Commuters, residents and bystanders were asked to avoid the area as police worked to 'resolve the incident.' DC Police Traffic said people should be aware of the following road closures: 900-1500 blocks of Mt. Olivet Road, from Brentwood Parkway/9th Street to Bladensburg Road NE 1500-2000 block of West Virginia Avenue from Penn Street to 16th Street NE Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- CTV News
OPP to conduct training at local school, ‘No cause for concern'
Residents in Collingwood will notice a heavy police presence Monday evening at a local school, but OPP says it's just a training exercise, and there is no cause for concern. Officers will be at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic School between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., including members of the emergency response team and personnel from the In-Service Training unit. "The exercise will include tactical footwork, incident response drills, scenario-based training, and a familiarization walk-through of the facility," OPP stated in a release Monday. Provincial police said the training helps strengthen their ability to respond effectively to various situations. 'While we hope such training is never needed, the possibility of critical incidents requires thorough preparation.'
