Samurai sword-wielding suspect arrested after standoff with Vancouver police

Robbery suspect arrested with sword A man carrying bear spray and a samurai sword was arrested after a robbery near Granville Island Tuesday.

A man who allegedly wielded bear spray and a samurai sword while robbing a Vancouver business Tuesday morning has been arrested after a stand-off, according to authorities.

Officers responded to 911 calls about the "violent commercial robbery" near West 3rd Avenue and Fir Street around 10:30 a.m., a news release from the Vancouver Police Department says.

The suspect fled the scene but police tracked him down near the Granville Street Bridge.

The armed suspect threatened to jump from the seawall into False Creek, police say.

"Officers from VPD’s Emergency Response and Crisis Negotiator teams were called to the scene and the man was taken into custody after approximately 90 minutes."

An ARWEN gun, which is a weapon that fires less-lethal projectiles such as bean bags or rubber bullets, was deployed during the arrest.

The VPD did not say what was allegedly stolen from the business or whether the suspect was injured.