Man arrested as ‘active shooting’ situation in Scarborough comes to an end after a day of clashes
This article is more than 3 years old
This article is more than 3 years old
A man arrested after a series of intense clashes over the weekend escalated to a lockdown at a school in Scarborough was charged with assault after he refused to leave during the arrest.
The man, who was arrested when police responded to a call about a man with a gun, refused to leave the school compound at Scarborough Collegiate Institute at around 10am on Sunday.
Police had tried to detain the man after the school was locked down, and eventually had used plastic zip ties to handcuff him after he refused to leave in the presence of officers, Victoria Police said in a statement.
The arrest had escalated into a lockdown by 11.30am, with authorities allowing only the maintenance staff, who are trained how to deal with an active shooting situation, to enter the school, according to the statement.
Officers responded to the school in the afternoon to assist the Scarborough fire department and the police tactical unit, which responded to a report of a gun. The unit was in the area of the school, but no reports of shots fired were received, according to the statement.
“The man who was arrested was charged with assaulting the police, possession of a weapon, possession with intent to use a weapon, resisting arrest and making threats, all of which are elevated to the class 1 (high) category,” Victoria Police said.
The man was held at the Toronto East Detention Centre on Sunday evening on a total of charges of assault and possession of a weapon for the use of a dangerous purpose.
The arrested man was last seen by his family members while they were visiting him in hospital at 6.30am on Sunday, police said.
Police said officers in uniform or civilian attire were not involved in the arrest, but could be seen inside the school grounds and were helping staff and students cope with the scene.
“It’s a huge shock,” Chris Haskins, the school’s assistant principal, told The Canadian Press after