Handgun report prompts large police presence in downtown Guelph
A 35-year-old man was arrested at gunpoint Thursday in downtown Guelph.
Around 10:30 a.m., a caller told police a man flashed a gun while looking at him inside his place of work.
"[He] made eye contact and had in his hand on what appeared to be a firearm," said Scott Tracey, the media relations coordinator for Guelph police.
The caller also recognized the man from a previous altercation.
Officers arrived minutes later and located the man walking on Wyndham Street North.
What happened next was caught on camera by a passerby and later shared online.
Believing the man may be armed with a weapon, he was ordered to get on the ground at gunpoint.
Multiple officers and police cars surrounded the scene and the man was arrested without incident.
Police said a black and silver imitation gun was recovered.
"One of the most serious things that officers deal with, of course, is people armed with firearms," said Tracey. "When they receive a report of someone who possibly has a firearm, until they know otherwise, they have to treat it as if it is a real firearm and the intentions of the person with it are unknown, so it did elicit a large reponse. As the video that has become public [shows], officers can be seen with their own weapons drawn and that's to ensure their safety because they don't know if the firearm is real and, if so, what [the person] intends to do with it."
Police add that they found two Canadian passports on the man that they are believed to be stolen. He was also wanted by another police service outside of Guelph.
The 35-year-old man has been charged with assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and possessing stolen identity documents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
3 law officers serving warrant are killed, 5 wounded in shootout at North Carolina home, police say
Three officers on a U.S. Marshals Task Force serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said.
'Shocked and concerned': Calgary principal charged with possession of child pornography
A Calgary elementary school principal has been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities announced Monday.
Health authority confirms cockroaches at B.C. hospital, insists they 'do not bite'
The Vancouver Island Health Authority is downplaying what staff describe as a cockroach infestation in a medical unit of Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
Toronto police arrest 12 people, lay 102 charges in major credit card fraud scheme
Toronto police say 12 people are facing a combined 102 charges in connection with an investigation into a major credit fraud scheme.
Winner of US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer
One of the winners of a historic US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Britney and Jamie Spears settlement avoids long, potentially ugly and revealing trial
Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears will avoid what could have been a long, ugly and revealing trial with a settlement of the lingering issues in the court conservatorship that controlled her life and financial decisions for nearly 14 years.
WATCH 'Double whammy': What happens if you don't file your taxes by the deadline
The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2023 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.