Police were able to talk a distraught man off a hotel roof in the early morning hours of Thursday, Nov. 5. (Citizen file)

Police were able to talk a distraught man off a hotel roof in the early morning hours of Thursday, Nov. 5. (Citizen file)

Highway closed in Duncan as police talk man off roof

The man had not been responding to requests to come down safely.

Members of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and their partners were able to talk a distraught member of the community down off a hotel roof on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 5.

The Mounties were called around 5:45 a.m. to speak to the man, who was atop the hotel at the 100-block of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The man had not been responding to requests to come down safely.

Not long after frontline officers arrived, they called for a police negotiator, the RCMP Emergency Response Team, the Duncan Fire Department and the BC Ambulance Service.

Police also closed the highway in both directions for about an hour before the man made his way down from the roof and through the building without injuries. He was then transported to Cowichan District Hospital for assessment.

“I am relieved this ended without injury to the public but unfortunately, during the course of their duties, two police officers sustained injuries,” said Sgt. Adam Tallboy, Watch Commander. “The police officers were treated at the hospital and later released.”

The highway was reopened shortly before 7:30 a.m.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while the highway was closed,” Tallboy added.


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Cowichan Valley Citizen