A charge of one count of uttering death threats has been laid against a 25-year-old man involved in police standoff after allegedly threatening his ex-wife.
According to Nanaimo RCMP, police responded Monday at about 8 p.m. when they were notified a threat had been made against the woman. Police called the woman to make sure she was safe and then attended to the suspect’s home in central Nanaimo. Police are not releasing the address of the incident, but witnesses said it occurred at a home located on Duggan Place between Meredith and Northfield roads.
The suspect refused to leave the residence and police learned there was a woman also in the residence.
Due to the nature of the alleged threat, the presence of woman in the residence and because police believed the suspect possessed a firearm, a crisis negotiator and the Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team were called in to deal with the situation.
The woman left the residence unharmed several hours after police arrived and was removed from the area by ERT members.
Police finally entered the home at about 3 a.m. Tuesday and took the man into custody. He was not injured.
The Nanaimo RCMP Serious Crime Unit and Domestic Violence Unit are continuing the investigation into the incident.
The accused appeared before a Nanaimo provincial court judge Tuesday and was released under various conditions. His next scheduled court appearance is Tuesday (Sept. 6).
Because this was a domestic violence incident police will not release the name of the accused to protect the privacy and identity of the victim.