The man accused of holding nine hostages at the Edmonton offices of the Workers' Compensation Board wept in court Friday as he told the judge that he can't afford a defence lawyer.
Patrick Charles Clayton, 38, is facing several charges in connection with the incident, which led to a tense, 10-hour standoff with police on Wednesday.
"I can't afford nothing," Clayton said during his first court appearance. He faces several criminal charges, including pointing a firearm, unlawful confinement, and careless use of a firearm.
The Crown prosecutor told the court that Clayton is medically fit to stand trial on the charges. Police allege that Clayton stormed the offices armed with a rifle.
Meanwhile, people who have also dealt with the Workers' Compensation Board gathered outside the courthouse to offer their support.
"I feel sorry for people ... that have been treated wrong," said worker Jack Baird.
"I've been on workers' compensation for the last five years and I have never been treated more ignorantly in all my life than I have by those people."
Another worker, Ralph Teed, echoed those sentiments and said that he can sympathize with the frustrations that many feel when confronted with similar workplace problems.
Edmonton police say that the suspect had no intention of leaving the downtown office building alive during the incident on Wednesday, which captivated the city and made headlines across the country.
Officers say that the armed man loitered around the office tower and then walked inside, firing a shot into a cinder-block wall.
Reports said that the suspect then grabbed a pass card from an employee and used it to commandeer an elevator to the WCB's eighth-floor offices around 8:30 a.m.
The incident forced about 700 people to flee their offices. A standoff ensued as hostage negotiators attempted to find a solution.
Eventually, after 10 hours, the suspect gave up and surrendered himself to officers. There were no serious injuries reported.
Following the incident, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said he would review security protocols at the WCB. Stelmach also praised police for defusing the incident without violence.
Though the WCB has called the outburst a rare incident, it isn't without precedent.
In 1993, a frustrated worker used a gun to barge into the WCB's Calgary offices, where he kept police at bay for more than four hours.
The situation ended when the man passed out from the painkillers he had been taking throughout the siege.
With reports from CTV Edmonton's Scott Roberts and The Canadian Press
