THUNDER BAY – A standoff has ended peacefully after about five hours.
The Thunder Bay Police Service took a 51-year-old man into custody shortly after 5 p.m. Monday following the incident on the 1400 block of Balmoral Street.
The initial call came in shortly after noon due to concern about the well-being of the individual inside the home. Officers responded and the man appeared to be agitated and went back into the home and a gunshot was heard from inside.
"That then very quickly escalated the situation," said police spokesman Chris Adams. "The area had to be contained and we had to treat this as obviously a critical incident."
Officers closed Balmoral Street between Oliver Road and Andrew Street, as well as a section of Frankwood Street between Hartland Street and Oliver Road. All entrances to both Riverside and St. Andrew's Catholic cemeteries were blocked.
Throughout much of the afternoon members of the critical response command and the tactical unit attempted to contact the man. A series of more than a dozen loud blasts were heard shortly after 4 p.m., though Adams said they were not gunshots.
"Those were part of the operation," he said.
Another couple of blasts were heard in the minutes leading up to the resolution.
The individual was the only person inside the residence during the standoff.
"The concern is always making sure (the individual is the only one in the house)," Adams said. "The only way to really verify it is to go back in and clear the home after the individual is out."
The investigation is still ongoing and officers will search for any weapons inside the home. The man will remain in custody and it is unknown whether charges will be laid.
