Armed man subdued by Montreal police in downtown area

Montreal police car. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News Montreal)

A man has been arrested in Montreal after he alarmed passersby in the downtown area early Wednesday morning by walking on the street holding a sharp object.

The 24-year-old man has been taken to a Montreal police centre and questioned by investigators.

Around 2:50 a.m., several citizens called 911, reporting that an armed man was walking west on Sainte-Catherine Street.

He was confronted by two police officers near the intersection of Jeanne-Mance St.

Police say he refused to cooperate with them.

Police say one of the two officers used a weapon to subdue and disarm the suspect, but to no avail. The other officer then pulled out his firearm, but managed to subdue the man without shooting him.

A security perimeter was set up at the intersection of Sainte-Catherine West and Jeanne-Mance streets, opposite the Place des Festivals.

SPVM investigators and forensic identification technicians were expected to inspect the premises during the day.

 - This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 26, 2023