Ottawa, April 6 (IANS) Canadian police on Sunday arrested a man who had barricaded himself inside the Parliament building after gaining ‘unauthorised access’ to the building’s East Block.
This prompted an hours-long lockdown in the part of downtown Ottawa, resulting in a significant police intervention after a major security breach, according to media reports.
“The barricaded man call at East Block has ended without incident. One man is in custody. The Ottawa police criminal investigation is ongoing, and an update will be provided in the morning. We thank the public for its cooperation,” Ottawa police posted on X.
The East Block houses the offices of senators and their staff, but there was little activity on the Hill because the Parliament is not in session due to the upcoming April 28 federal election.
The incident led to a significant police response involving agents from the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS), the Ottawa Police Service OPS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who locked down the building and the adjoining area.
According to local media reports, as the suspect burst into the office building, PPS issued a rare alert ordering senators and their staff to “seek shelter in the nearest room. Close and lock all doors and hide.”
Then the same order was sent to the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office and Privy Council Office in the building across the street, ordering any parliamentarians and staff there to do the same, the country’s leading newspaper, National Post, reported.
People were evacuated from the building, and police shut down a significant stretch of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, blocking traffic and pedestrians.
Addressing reporters on Saturday, Inspector Mark Bouwmeester stated that the parliamentary police force reported to the Ottawa Police Service that an unknown man had gained unauthorised access to East Block, which is primarily used for senators’ offices and committee rooms.
“This has prompted a significant police response in the area involving both the Parliamentary Protective Service and specialised units of the Ottawa Police Service,” Bouwmeester said.
The inspector refused to comment on whether the man was armed. He added that the incident was isolated to an area of the complex, with no members of the public affected.
Asked about the man’s motivations, Bouwmeester said that issue was part of the investigation and not something he could comment on
The inspector acknowledged the massive police presence, with scores of vehicles from the Ottawa police and the Parliamentary Protective Service.
He said the priority of the police is to resolve the situation peacefully.
“It’s a fairly large police operation at this time. We’re treating this as a serious, suspicious incident,” the inspector had stated.
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