A Winnipeg man in his 60s is behind bars facing an arson charge after an incident Thursday night on Sargent Avenue.
Police said they were called to a mixed-use commercial/residential building around 9:30 p.m., and were told by tenants that an armed man had set a fire in the building and barricaded himself in a suite.
After officers broke through the barricaded basement suite, police said, they found the man, armed with a pipe. He listened to police directions and was safely taken into custody.
A Winnipeg Transit bus provided temporary shelter for a dozen occupants of the building. Four police officers were treated for smoke inhalation, and the suspect was taken to hospital as a precaution.
He has been charged with arson with disregard for human life.