Police have surrounded a building at 880 Vernon Ave. Friday morning.
Saanich police say one man was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and there was no one with a weapon of any kind in or around the apartment building on Vernon Avenue following a report of a person with a firearm Friday morning.
At around 7 a.m., Saanich police were called to a report of a person with a weapon inside an apartment building in the 800-block of Vernon Avenue. According to police, the call originated after someone heard a man in the hallway talking about someone having a firearm, which prompted calls to 911 and the fire alarm being pulled.
Due to the nature of the call and to ensure public safety, the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team and a K9 team, along with the provincial ambulance service and the Saanich Fire Department. The apartment building was locked down while police searched. Residents were told to leave or shelter in place.
Officers focused on one particular apartment but no one or nothing of concern was found.
“We take all calls where someone’s safety may be at risk very seriously and will use whatever resources we have available to determine what has happened and to bring things to a safe conclusion,” said Sgt. Julie Fast, Saanich Police public information officer, said in a statement.
Police are on-scene of a weapons incident at an apartment building in the 800 block of Vernon Ave. Until we have resolved this incident, we are asking people to avoid this area. #yyj #yyjtraffic
— Saanich Police (@SaanichPolice) February 22, 2019
One man was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for assessment.
Residents have returned to their apartments and all lanes on Vernon Avenue have reopened.
More than a dozen police cars are seen in the 800-block of Vernon Avenue in Saanich. Photo courtesy Leya Costa.
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