Details are emerging about a Nova Scotia man who was arrested following an alleged threat at an Ottawa hotel that triggered an evacuation.

Christopher B. Phillips, of Cole Harbour, N.S., was arrested in Ottawa on Wednesday after an incident that forced the temporary evacuation of the Chimo Hotel.

On Monday night, RCMP found toxic chemicals at Phillips’ home.

Police raided a residence in a Halifax suburb on Wednesday and recovered glass containers of an extremely harmful chemical called osmium tetroxide, CTV News has learned.

A former U.S. Army biochemist and American citizen, Phillips has been living in Nova Scotia for the last several years. It’s believed Phillips’ birth date is Jan. 21, 1973, making Wednesday his 42nd birthday.

He was also previously married to U.S. Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller. According to an Oklahoma newspaper, they divorced in 2006. In a statement released Wednesday, Miller said that contrary to news reports, their marriage was brief and the pair had no children. Their divorce proceedings were lengthy and acrimonious as the couple reportedly fought over money.

Phillips is currently married to Gosia Phillips, a neurologist who specializes in sleep medicine. Phillips' wife called police on Tuesday from the family's Halifax-area home to inform them that her husband was travelling to Ottawa, prompting a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.

Phillips appears to have had previous brushes with the law.

In March 2008, Phillips was an ophthalmologist who closed an eye-care clinic he owned in the Seattle area.

He’s also appeared in court for parties at his Washington home, which included allegations of supplying liquor to minors. According to The Canadian Press, Phillips filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Documents show Phillips had liabilities of nearly $4.7 million. The bankruptcy documents also show that Phillips was sued by an Illinois company for breach of contract.

He had a criminal record and is banned from practicing medicine in Washington State.

Phillips previously worked as a biochemist for the U.S. Army, and had a history of mental illness, according to an internal RCMP memo.

A 2008 psychiatric assessment on Phillips from Washington State, obtained by CTV Atlantic, found that he suffered a mood disorder, a narcissistic personality disorder, substance dependency and alcohol abuse.

The report said Phillips had trauma related to childhood relationship difficulties and within his marriage to Miller. The report further described Phillips as having self-destructive behaviours and was easy to anger. It recommended he join a 12-step program, and undergo ongoing psychiatric treatments.

Not long after, Phillips moved to Nova Scotia.

U.S. Navy Public Affairs in D.C. said they have no record of a Christopher Phillips with his date of birth. However, Phillips’ Washington State court documents say he was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1992 after an injury to his feet.

Police response

Halifax police responded to a call Monday night of a suspicious package in the Cole Harbour neighbourhood where Phillips lives. Residents in the area were evacuated early Tuesday while bomb disposal and hazardous material experts examined the package. Police said it contained “hazardous chemicals” but not explosives.

Police also investigated a Grand Desert, N.S. cottage on Tuesday as part of the case. Neighbours were evacuated and the site remained off-limits on Wednesday. Bomb disposal teams, forensic investigators and HAZMAT crews continue to pore over what police describe as a "large quantity of chemicals" at the Grand Desert residence.

Authorities say they have no evidence Phillips was planning a terrorist attack in Ottawa, but are trying to find out why he had so many dangerous chemicals.

What is osmium tetroxide?

The chemical recovered from Phillips’ home Wednesday has been identified as osmium tetroxide (OsO4), a substance that can be deadly if even trace amounts are inhaled.

Chemical weapons expert Howard Hu says the chemical is a "niche" substance that is not easy to buy or generate in a laboratory. He added that it would be difficult to turn osmium tetroxide into a chemical weapon or "dirty bomb," but it could still do a lot of harm to anyone exposed to it.

"It's a very volatile chemical and one that's extremely poisonous, both through inhalation or ingestion," Hu told CTV News Channel on Wednesday.

Chemists typically use the expensive and volatile chemical to stain slides for viewing under a microscope.

With files from CTV News Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife, CTV Atlantic and The Canadian Press