Armed standoff in Lumby ends safely

Vernon RCMP successfully de-escalated a situation in Lumby yesterday after an armed man barricaded himself in a building.

According to a Vernon North Okanagan RCMP media release at around 8 a.m. yesterday, April 10, police were called to a rural property near Bobby Burns Road, Lumby where a man believed to be armed with a firearm, had barricaded himself and threatened to harm himself.

Residents in the area reported a heavy police presence.

"The Southeast District Emergency Response Team, along with a Critical Incident Commander, and an RCMP Police Dog Service Team were deployed," Vernon RCMP Const. Chris Terleski said in a media release.

"Police continued attempts to call out the man so he could safely be arrested. After several hours, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the man exited a building and members of the Emergency Response Team, with the assistance of an RCMP Police Dog Services, safely took the man into custody. To ensure the safety of the public, our response necessitated restricting access to the area and we want to thank the public for their patience and cooperation as we worked to safely resolve this situation."

Police say the man was transported to hospital for assessment and treatment after being apprehended under the Mental Health Act.

No other information was provided in the release.

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