A man wearing a housecoat and pyjamas and carrying a shotgun was tasered by Nanaimo RCMP and taken into custody.
Nanaimo police closed off Hammond Bay Road, north of Fillinger Crescent, at around 11 a.m. after receiving reports of the suspect walking down Fillinger Crescent with what was initially reported as a toy rifle.
Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said police confronted the man after it was determined visually he was carrying a pump-action shotgun with a pistol grip that was not likely not a toy or a replica.
“When members confronted him he threw the shotgun down and came at them with a knife,” O’Brien said. “One of them had a Taser so they tasered him and took him into custody.”
The incident was over by 11:15 a.m.
The shotgun, which police discovered was not loaded, was seized along with the knife.
O’Brien said the man, who appeared to be in his 30s, was possibly suffering from a mental health issue. He was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for evaluation.
