Charges have been laid against two men police allege were involved in a standoff on Christakos Street earlier this week.
The incident began at around 11:30 a.m. on May 24 when police received a weapons complaint from neighbours of a home in the city’s Minnow Lake neighbourhood. The caller said two people had been spotted in the yard of the home with what appeared to be prohibited firearms.
GSPS dispatched officers, who sealed the street off. Police used social media to ask people to avoid the area. Tactical and canine units were brought in.
Within a couple of hours of police arriving, they had one person in custody after one of the suspects came out of the house and was quickly arrested. Police continued to keep part of the street closed. The public was asked to continue to stay away from the area, and to avoid livestreaming police activity to the internet as the standoff continued.
Late in the evening on Sunday, the Ontario Provincial Police tactical and rescue unit and emergency response team were brought in to relieve the GSPS tactical and canine unit.
The standoff continued overnight — for 18 or 20 hours in total — until between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Monday morning when police took a second person into custody, a 23-year-old man.
Throughout the day on May 25, GSPS reported detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division executed a search warrant at the residence on Christakos Street.
As a result, a firearm, various types of ammunition and a quantity of methamphetamine were located and seized, police said.
A 23-year-old man has been charged with:
- Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm x2;
- Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose x2;
- Utter Threat;
- Possession of a Firearm/Weapon Contrary to a Prohibition Order;
- Possession of a Schedule I Substance, and;
- Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Device.
A 30-year-old man has been charged with:
- Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm x2;
- Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose x2;
- Possession of a Firearm/Weapon Contrary to a Prohibition Order;
- Possession of a Schedule I Substance, and;
- Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Device.
Both men have been remanded into custody as Detectives from the GSPS Criminal Investigation Division have applied for and been granted an additional Search Warrant for the outbuildings on the property that will be executed today, Tuesday, May 26.
Additional charges may be pending for both individuals and the investigation into this matter is ongoing.
