VANCOUVER -- A man was taken into custody after an overnight standoff with police that started when he barricaded himself in a Richmond home.
Richmond RCMP locked down a neighbourhood for nearly 12 hours overnight Thursday.
The Emergency Response Team was first called to a townhouse on Gilley Road near Westminster Highway in the afternoon. Police say they received reports that a distraught man was "trashing the place during a violent outburst."
A woman, who was inside the residence, fled the area before the 43-year-old man barricaded himself inside. He's known to police and it was reported he had a firearm.
Gilley Road was locked down overnight as officers dressed in tactical gear, an armoured vehicle, and more than a dozen RCMP cruisers moved in.
Neighbours reported hearing several loud bangs and a negotiator over a loud speaker around 2 a.m.
A transit bus was brought in to temporarily house evacuated neighbours, but it remained empty for most of the night.
At 5 a.m., an ambulance could be seen driving away from the Parc Gilley townhouse complex with its lights off.
A red notice informing occupants that the building had been contaminated with tear gas and pepper spray was posted on the building's door.
Several units' front windows were broken and window coverings appeared to have chemical stains on them.
The man is still in custody and police are continuing their investigation. It's believed residents will be allowed to return to their homes Friday morning.
