Kingston Police respond to male barricaded in Rideau Street garage

A large police presence remained on Rideau Street for most of the day after a male barricaded himself inside an old auto garage and refused to leave.

The Kingston Police Emergency Response Team, mobile command centre, and a handful of marked and unmarked cruisers responded to the incident. Frontenac Paramedic Services also attended the scene as a precaution. Although traffic was not impeded, the matter brought a large police presence to the area beginning around 9:40 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019.

At approximately 10:35 a.m., Police at the scene observed the accused man leaning out a window of the residence. The accused was known to police, and they observed that he was under the influence of a controlled substance.

After advising the accused man that he was no longer welcome at the residence, the accused refused to leave and made threatening gestures with a syringe, indicating that the syringe contained a controlled substance.

Police were in the process of negotiating at approximately 1:30 p.m. Police employed tactical equipment, including riot shields and distraction techniques. The accused male accidentally dropped the syringe out the window while speaking with police, but subsequently retrieved a large knife from inside the residence. Although weapons were drawn as the situation escalated, no weapons were used during the incident.

According to Const. Ashley Gutheinz, media relations officer for Kingston Police, the incident posed no threat to public safety. “The individual is completely contained, and there is no risk to public safety at this time,” Gutheinz said.

Kingston Police worked throughout the day negotiating with the person inside, and eventually commanding him to go to the door of the building. By 4 p.m., police had successfully removed the male from the building with only a mild struggle.

The 32-year-old local man was charged with possess weapon dangerous to public peace, possession of schedule 1 substance, breach of recognizance, and three counts breach of probation.

With files from Tori Stafford.