Nanaimo police incident 'resolved successfully': RCMP

A Nanaimo RCMP vehicle is shown. (CTV News)

A police incident that closed a section of a street in downtown Nanaimo Thursday morning has been resolved, Mounties said.

The RCMP Emergency Response Team was on scene at a motel near the intersection of Terminal Avenue and Bryden Street "due to the potential for violence," the Nanaimo RCMP said in a statement.

Terminal Avenue was temporarily closed to both northbound and southbound vehicle traffic, with a detour in place.

In an update shortly after noon, Nanaimo RCMP said it had apprehended a 31-year-old man under the Mental Health Act. He was taken to hospital for psychiatric assessment and no criminal charges are being considered, according to police.

“This was an extremely volatile and potentially dangerous situation that was resolved successfully by utilizing RCMP resources and officers who are trained to deal with these types of situations,” said Const. Gary O’Brien in the statement.

According to police, the incident unfolded after a family member called police to perform a wellness check on a tenant at the motel.

“When police arrived, and after speaking with the individual, they determined the person was experiencing a mental health crisis,” O’Brien wrote. “Over the next several hours, officers attempted to persuade the man to leave his room but were unsuccessful.”

The Emergency Response Team, a crisis negotiator and an RCMP Mental Health Liaison were sent to the scene. The ERT entered the man’s room at 9:30 a.m. and apprehended him.

Traffic has since resumed through the area.