A morning standoff at a Burnside and Carroll Street condo complex resulted in a man being arrested, but only after tear gas was deployed.
Police cordoned off the area about 8am and brought in an armed tactical unit and armoured vehicle to assist.A man inside was refusing to come out, and at about 9 a.m. tear gas was used to end the incident.
According to a news release the man had been barred from living at the property by court-order, stemming from an assault conviction.
Officers spoke to him on several occasions trying to convince him to give himself up. When he refused, officers went to the suite where the man barricaded himself inside.
VicPd, the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, and Community Services Division were on scene when the area was cordoned the off, and further attempts were made at persuading the man to come out. When that failed, he was warned tear gas would be used. He still refused and the gas was deployed.
The man was arrested and taken to cells to be decontaminated of chemical residue from the gas. According to police no one in the condo complex was harmed as a result of the use of gas, which they say has short-lived effects.
The man is being held to appear in court on 4 offences relating to multiple breaches of court-ordered conditions.
Meantime Kelly Goldbeck at K Geez Cycles across the street says he's seen a few police incidents at that same building:
"This was exactly the same kind of thing that happened a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it's the same apartment inside, but the same building. And it's happened about 3 or 4 times."
Police have not said if the same man was the subject of a recent standoff at the same complex in early December.