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No charges expected in Nomad incident

A nine-hour standoff at a Cranbrook motel, which closed the highway through town, ended peacefully
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RCMP set up a perimeter around the Nomad Motel on Cranbrook’s strip early on in the standoff

The man at the centre of Wednesday’s standoff at the Nomad Motel in Cranbrook gave himself up after talking to a police negotiator.

Dozens of police, including an Emergency Response Team, surrounded the motel on the highway through Cranbrook from about 12:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on October 30.

That was when the man police described as distraught finally came out of the room he had been holed up in during the nine-hour standoff.

RCMP provided more details about the incident after the man was taken into custody Wednesday night.

“Shortly before 9 p.m., a 48-year-old male exited the room and was taken into custody by police,” said Cpl. Chris Newel.

“After several hours, a police negotiator was able to make contact with the subject and successfully persuaded him to come out.

“There were no injuries as a result of the incident but the subject is being taken to hospital for evaluation.”

RCMP said they are not expecting to charge the man.

The highway through Cranbrook was closed for nine hours during the incident from Victoria Avenue to 6th Street North.

Several businesses across from the motel were evacuated.

Midway through the standoff, police learned that a housekeeper was in a room near the one where the man was holed up.

She was asked to stay in the room until it was safe to leave. Police removed her from the scene at about 5 p.m.

RCMP said the incident began at about 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday when the emotionally distraught man made a call seeking assistance and an ambulance to take him to the hospital.

“However, upon police attendance, he became apprehensive and non-compliant. Due to the statements he made, police took action to ensure the safety of the subject and others,” said Cpl. Newel.

The lengthy police incident ended peacefully, he went on.

“The trained negotiator and officers on scene were sensitive to the subject’s state and responded accordingly to ensure a successful ending.”