Police seized several knives and one firearm after a four-hour standoff with a man holding an elderly lady against her will ended peacefully..North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP were called to an apartment complex in North Cowichan, on Vancouver Island —about halfway between Victoria and Nanaimo — about 4 p.m. Wednesday when a friend of an elderly resident became concerned for her friend’s welfare after her adult son screamed at the friend to leave..The elderly woman, described by neighbours as being in her mid- to late-90s, was reported to be the mother of the hostage-taker..Mounties went to the apartment, but were unable to get into the home..The detachment commander told the Cowichan Valley Citizen police quickly backed off as not to upset the man further..“For the safety of all of those in the nearby area Cowichan Lake Road was blocked, and some nearby residents in an apartment were evacuated,” said Insp. Chris Bear..Police quickly evacuated the first and second floors of the three-storey apartment complex, then cordoned off a wide area..During the standoff, which lasted for about four hours, members of the RCMP’s elite Emergency Response Team arrived, along with an armoured vehicle..Police finally entered the apartment about 8 p.m., briefly struggled with the man, then had him in cuffs..The man was taken to nearby hospital to undergo a medical evaluation..The hostage was unharmed, and the firearm police seized was not loaded..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
