An unidentified man on the roof of a building at 517 Fort St. holds up cannisters during a downtown Victoria standoff. Callers to 911 said the man told passersby on the street that he had a bomb and to clear the area.
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By Don Descoteau - Victoria News
Published: September 29, 2008 10:14 AM
A 36-year-old man who yelled from a Fort Street rooftop that he had a bomb and hurled a computer monitor to the street will be in provincial court Monday morning to face charges of public mischief.
The rants of the man, who at one point wore a reflective vest and a hardhat, prompted several 911 calls around 12:15 p.m. Sunday. Callers said a "worker on the roof" of the Custom House Currency Exchange building at 517 Fort St. was yelling at passersby on the street to clear the area and that he had a bomb.
No one was hurt when the man heaved the monitor onto Fort Street a short while later, but people were sent scrambling, said Victoria police Const. Brent Burger.
Early in the incident the man, referred to by one witness as a former employee of Custom House, unfurled a banner with the words "Custom Heist," in a reference to an online campaign against the company.
Shortly after the 911 calls, the regional Emergency Response Team was brought in and joined fire and other police crews on the scene. Police snipers moved into position and two square blocks were cordoned off, from Wharf Street up to Government Street. The action rendered a portion of the busy retail area unreachable on a sunny weekend afternoon.
Two negotiators spoke with the man for a couple of hours before he surrendered to police without incident.
However, four unidentified one-foot by four-inch metal cylinders strapped together and waved around by the man were left there by police. The RCMP bomb squad from Vancouver was dispatched and was scheduled to be on the 5 p.m. ferry to inspect the cylinders and all other material left behind by the man.
The area was due to remain in lockdown mode until well after the squad's arrival, Burger said.
The man was overheard saying he wanted to be arrested, Burger said, so he could make an appearance in court on Monday.
While the man looked ready for a relaxing time on the roof – he had a cooler, a snack container, a tarp and other items – police weren't taking his behaviour and threats lightly.
"It doesn't matter how it can look, there's always a chance that it can go the wrong way," Burger said.
Police are also recommending the man undergo a psychiatric assessment.
ddescoteau@vicnews.com
