A 33-year-old North Bay man faces multiple charges in relation to a police standoff which lasted for more than three hours on Monday and ended with an arrest and an apartment fire.
The man faces multiple charges including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, one count of mischief under $5000, one count of uttering death threats, one count of assault with a weapon, one count of arson with disregard for human life, four counts of assault with a weapon, one count of carry concealed weapon and one count of breach of probation.
Police say at about 3 p.m., the accused was in his apartment with his roommate.
It is alleged that the accused was in an agitated state, swinging a sword in one hand and burning a roll of paper in the other hand. Fearing for his safety, the roommate immediately fled the apartment and called police.
On arrival shortly thereafter, police witnessed the accused smash windows from within his unit. The accused then barricaded the front door of his unit, uttered death threats to police officers, and threw a fire extinguisher and other items out his apartment window towards a police officer below.
The North Bay Police Service’s Emergency Response Team were dispatched, as were paramedics and firefighters who remained at the scene on standby. Other residents in the multi-unit building were evacuated, Wyld Street was blocked to traffic, and the building’s natural gas supply was turned off to ensure public safety.
It is also alleged that at 6:05 p.m., the accused set fire to his apartment.
As police prepared to enter the building, the accused exited his apartment through the front door holding a sword, which he threw at police officers. Police deployed a Conducted Energy Weapon to gain control of the accused.
The fire was extinguished shortly thereafter by firefighters. The building was extensively damaged and occupants were unable to return to their units.
A search of the accused after his arrest revealed that he was carrying a dagger, which police seized, along with the sword, as evidence.
The accused is currently in custody at North Bay Police Service headquarters, awaiting a bail hearing.
Nobody was injured as a result of this occurrence. Victim Services of Nipissing District and the Red Cross were contacted to assist residents of units damaged by the fire.
The North Bay Police Service thanks the residents who were displaced by this occurrence, for respecting boundaries and directions and for their patience
