THUNDER BAY -- City police say a standoff at a Windsor Street housing complex came to a peaceful conclusion just before 3 a.m. on Sunday.
The incident, which lasted more than 26 hours, led to the arrest of a 36-year-old Toronto-area man. Kurt Downer was taken into custody on a number of Criminal Code offences alleged to have been committed in Thunder Bay, as well as several outstanding arrest warrants issued by police in the GTA.
The suspect, who police believed to be armed, is expected to appear in court on Sunday.
Police say the incident began at 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, when officers recognized a man they believed to be wanted in the Toronto area. They attempted to apprehend the suspect, but he fled and police followed him to the housing complex, located at 288 Windsor Street.
The male refused to surrender and police, fearing a public safety concern, cordoned off the area, evacuated nearby residents and set up an incident command centre with negotiators, the emergency task force unit, containment and uniformed patrol officers and other support units.
Police used tactical devices to attempt to force a surrender, but with no success.
Thunder Bay Police Service was later joined by the OPP's emergency response team and tactics and rescue units from a number of Northwestern Ontario detachments, as well as one from southern Ontario.
The incident finally came to an end at 2:50 a.m. on Sunday, when the suspect surrendered to the OPP-TRU after they entered the residence he'd holed up in.
Police have since released the site.
