Long guns seized following stand-off

NAIL POND – RCMP have confirmed three long guns were seized and that one individual is being investigated following an armed stand-off in the Nail Pond area on Sunday.

Prince District RCMP Staff Sgt. Troy MacLean said police are investigating "threat charges as well as weapon offenses" related to the incident. The individual is currently in hospital and is being provided "support and treatment for medical," MacLean said.

Shortly after midnight on Jan. 24, Prince District RCMP received a complaint regarding a male uttering threats

with a firearm at a residence in Nail Pond.

“The complaint received was a threat for self-harm, as well as the threat to the complainant, the family member who called us, as well as any police intervention that was to respond to that complaint,” MacLean told The Guardian.

Prince District RCMP responded by containing the residence and began negotiations with the lone male inside the home. The incident involved significant police resources, including an RCMP crisis negotiation team, an RCMP emergency response team, police dog service, emergency medical response team members, UAV/drone operators and general duty members. The individual eventually surrendered peacefully.

Throughout the day Sunday, RCMP issued alerts asking individuals to stay away from the area on Route 14 between the Back Settlement Road and Route 182. Individuals who lived nearby were asked to remain in their homes and turn their lights off. RCMP updates also said there was no risk to the public.

MacLean said authorities were concerned with the presence of long guns, which typically have a longer range than other firearms.

“The individual was contained within his residence. The immediate risk was within that residence and to the officers involved. But obviously, (with) any police intervention, we can’t have people wandering around or coming out,” MacLean said.

“For safety of the individuals nearby, we asked them to shelter in place and keep the lights off as well as not wander within the police inner perimeter, which causes grief to the members responding to the incident at hand.”