North Vancouver police incident resolved safely: RCMP

Police vehicles on the scene of an 'unfolding incident' in North Vancouver on Monday, May 29, 2023.

A heavy police presence and road closure in North Vancouver Monday was prompted by a mental health emergency, according to police, who say the incident was resolved safely.

A stretch of the Upper Levels Highway above the Mosquito Creek trail was closed to traffic in both directions for roughly three hours while officers, including members of the Integrated Emergency Response Team descended on the area.

In a statement, the North Vancouver RCMP said they were called to the trail for reports of a man "acting erratically and causing public alarm." When police arrived they found the man "in possession of a number of makeshift weapons," the statement continues, without providing further details on what the weapons were.

"Due to the steep terrain and difficult accessibility of the location, and in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully, responding officers withdrew and contained the area," the media release continues.

With assistance from a crisis negotiator and a psychologist, police were able to apprehend the man under the Mental Health Act and transport him to hospital.