The chain of events that prompted a 20-hour standoff in Brantford began with a 19-year-old man being repeatedly assaulted, police say.

According to Brantford Police, the 19-year-old was walking down Pearl Street around 4 a.m. Sunday when he was grabbed from behind in what police termed a “blitz style attack.”

The man was then taken to a nearby home, where he was allegedly assaulted repeatedly, then to a second location where he was again allegedly assaulted.

When police learned of the incident, they also learned that two firearms were seen in the first house, located on Palace Street.

A little after 6 a.m., police surrounded that house as they awaited a search warrant to let them inside.

People in neighbouring homes were asked to leave the area, and a service at a nearby church was cancelled, as police say they weren’t sure who or what was inside the house at that point.

Neighbours told CTV News they were concerned a child was inside the home, but police said that they never had any information suggesting that to be the case.

The search warrant was signed late Sunday night, and police remained on-scene until about 2:30 a.m. Monday.

As a result of that investigation, a 20-year-old man named Alden Whalen was charged with assault with a weapon, robbery, kidnapping, forcible confinement and a number of other criminal offences.

The 19-year-old was released from hospital on Sunday, police say.

Police say the initial attack was not random, and was connected to an earlier incident involving the same people.