Vancouver police have arrested a gunman who was holed up in the downtown Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel for almost 10 hours.
The 28-year-old man from Surrey, who police say has a history of mental illness, was taken into custody around noon Monday, said police. Officers set off a flash-bang device to distract the suspect, said 24 Hours. He's been taken to hospital with minor injuries after being hit with a plastic bullet , reported the CBC's Steve Lus.
No one was hurt in the incident, and no shots were fired. The man faces possible weapons related charges.
The gunman entered the hotel at 2:30 a.m. Monday, showed his handgun, sat down and waited, said Sgt. Randy Fincham. He ended up in a third-floor common area of the hotel, where police negotiators tried to defuse the situation for hours, trying to figure out what the man wanted.
The man did not threaten anyone, said Fincham.
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Fairmont Hotel Standoff Reaction
Part of the hotel was locked down, and police closed Cordova Street between Granville and Thurlow to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. At about 10 a.m., hotel guests, who had been told to stay put, were escorted outside.
Hotel guest Rob Grimshaw said a fire alarm went off at around the same time the gunman entered the hotel. He told The Huffington Post B.C. he checked Twitter and discovered that guests were asked to stay put. He then found a message on his hotel phone, saying police wanted guests to stay inside.
The Province reports that the gunman's only demand was for water.
The Fairmont Pacific Rim has 377 hotel rooms as well as a condo tower overlooking Vancouver's Canada Place complex, which includes busy walkways, a major convention centre and seaplane terminal.