THUNDER BAY -- A standoff at the Kingsway Inn on Thunder Bay's south side has come to an end with the death of a 33-year-old man.
Police have not said how the man died, but said the investigation is now in the hand of the province's special investigation unit.
An ambulance was seen racing away from the scene just before 7:30 a.m. and police began removing barricades they'd set up to contain the scene on Kingsway Avenue between McGregor Avenue and Arthur Street. The man was pronounced dead at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Thunder Bay Police Service executive officer Chris Adams confirmed the standoff's conclusion.
"Our tactical unit was able to finally make an entrance into the room. They discovered a male unconcious and paramedics were on scene shortly after that. This was around 6 a.m. That individual has now been transported to hospital for treatment," Adams told CKPR Radio.
Witnesses on scene told police the man inside the hotel room was possibly armed.
"We were called to the scene with the belief there was a male inside the hotel room and there was a probability he may have been armed," Adams said. "That's why were on scene with a full tactical response.
"We had incident command set up and tried our best to make contact with the individual in there. These incidents are always fluid and very individual. It's not a rush, it's all about trying to end this thing as safely as possible."
Adams said the individual was alone at the time of the incident, though witnesses on scene had suggested a family member might be inside the room with the man in question.
The investigation continues, Adams said.
"We're going to hold this scene. There will be search of the room with a search warrant, etc. There are a number of steps we have to take now."
Asked if the suspect was known to police, Adams said he couldn't comment at this time.
Police, in a release issued earlier in the morning, said they were dealing with a possibly armed man barricaded inside one of the motel's rooms.
