A man accused of threatening people with a weapon in downtown London is in custody after a brief showdown with police that saw an officer fire two shots.
London police officers were called to the area of Richmond Street and King Street shortly after 9 a.m. on Tuesday after getting reports of a man approaching people on the street with an "edged weapon." More than a dozen police cruisers flooded the area and officers were able to quickly locate a suspect.
"During the initial approach of the fellow, the officer was threatened with an edged weapon. As a result of that, the officer discharged their weapon twice," said Constable Matt Hopkins.
London police cruiser block a section of King St.
No one was hurt during the confrontation and the man was arrested following a brief standoff in a nearby alley. The man was taken to hospital for a medical assessment and remains in police custody.
A weapon was recovered by police, Hopkins confirmed.
King Street between Clarence and Richmond streets and a section of York Street near Clarence Street were cordoned off while police continued their investigation. Officers could be seen speaking with several people who were in the area at the time of the incident.
"We commend [our officers] efforts, their composure when negotiating with the subject. This ultimately led to a very successful outcome to a potentially tragic situation," said Hopkins.
Ciaran Elmes, 25, of London is charged with assaulting a police officer with a weapon, uttering threats of death or bodily harm, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.