After one of the longest standoffs in recent Hamilton memory, police say criminal charges are not likely.
Officers say that shortly before midnight on Thursday, there was an opportunity to peacefully end the standoff at a home on East Avenue near Robert Street in Central Hamilton.
Hamilton police spokesman Const. Jerome Stewart says “through conversation with the man, it was determined there was a good opportunity to go in because his guard was down and it was the safest opportunity to enter.”
The Emergency Response Unit entered the home and apprehended the 51-year-old without physical injury.
“We always want to use time on our side, exercise caution, and do the best we can to have a successful apprehension,” Stewart says. “Our standard practice would be the safe apprehension of a barricaded person. And we would take the necessary time and steps in order to successfully complete that.”
Police say a quantity of knives and pellet guns was involved.
It all started 33 hours earlier on the afternoon of Dec. 13, when a man barricaded himself inside the home.
At one point, Niagara Regional Police were called in to help Hamilton officers.
“They stepped up and provided relief for our officers,” Stewart says. “They provided negotiators and a tactical unit. Once our officers were rested, they returned to duty.”
The man has been taken to hospital for assessment.
He has not been identified.