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Hay River man taken into custody after armed encounter with police

RCMP
An RCMP spokesperson confirmed the police force is in receipt of a complaint about a man allegedly making harassing comments toward to Yellowknife women on Tuesday evening.

A man in Hay River has been taken safely into custody following a potentially dangerous situation, RCMP advised in a news release Wednesday. 

On Tuesday night, at approximately 6:30 p.m. members of the Hay River RCMP were approached by a man armed with a knife, making threats of self-harm. 

The news release states officers engaged the man in discussion and immediately called for additional police resources.

Officers used communication de-escalation tactics before eventually deploying a Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly known as a taser gun, and pepper spray. 

No one was injured in the event, though RCMP advised the man was transported to the regional hospital as a safety precaution. One bystander shared a video of the incident on Facebook

“Our members were involved in a highly emotional situation, where critical thinking and the deployment of various techniques were required to safely end the situation,” Sgt. Kurtis Pillipow, Hay River RCMP detachment commander, said. “We are thankful for the outcome and that no one was injured.”

The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been laid at this time. 

RCMP remind the public to call 911 or local detachments if you believe someone may be in distress.