31-Year-Old Ottawa Man Faces Charges Following Parliament Hill Lockdown
Police have announced the charging of a 31-year-old man from Ottawa with multiple offenses after an incident that led to an area of Parliament Hill being locked down on Saturday.
Ottawa police reported in a media release on Sunday that the man entered East Block in downtown Ottawa at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday and began making threats to those inside.
Security authorities contained the man in a security screening area while the police evacuated the building, which primarily houses offices for senators and their staff.
After hours of negotiations, the man surrendered peacefully.
The suspect was not identified by Ottawa police in the Sunday morning release, stating that he was set to appear in court later that day.
Charges against the suspect included two counts of breach of probation, as well as one count each of public mischief and uttering threats to cause property damage.
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Prior to the evacuation, a warning was issued by police on Saturday afternoon advising everyone in East Block to take shelter in the closest room, lock all doors, and hide.
Authorities closed off traffic on a section of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill and later expanded the exclusion zone one block south to Sparks Street.
The incident prompted a significant response from Ottawa police and the Parliamentary Protective Service, with canine and bomb disposal units dispatched to the scene.
No injuries occurred during the incident, and no weapons, explosives, or other dangerous materials were found.
Several packages were located in the area and were subsequently searched and cleared by the police.
Ottawa Police Service Insp. Mark Bouwmeester stated to journalists on Saturday evening that the circumstances surrounding the incident were considered “suspicious,” with limited additional information provided at the time.
Due to the federal election, Parliament Hill is experiencing a period of relative quietude this month.
