London police officers surrounded an ambulance on Hamilton Road, while those nearby were told to take cover.
“We heard a lot of commotion, sirens and people shouting,” said Andy Paquet, owner of V Spot Restaurant on Hamilton Road and Rectory Street.
“We took a look outside and an agent informed us that there was a gun in the area and we re-entered,” he said.
It was about 10:30 a.m. when he received a call from police asking for help.
“Paramedics called for help after a patient was found to have what appeared to be a firearm during transport to a medical center,” Const said. Travis Buckle of the London Police Service.
The London Police Department was located on Rectory Street and Hamilton Road in London, Ont. on June 4, 2022 for reports of a man with a gun inside an ambulance. (Source: James Gardner)
With several streets blocked for the active scene, many spectators wondered what was going on near their homes.
“It was quite a scene,” said Katrina Cline of Scythe and Sickle Tattoo, which is a short walk from the intersection. “There were probably at least 20 cruisers, some RCMPs showed up and then the militarized tank. They also had the two big police response trucks.
Several officers, including the Emergency Unit, have traveled to the scene to contain the situation.
They were then able to negotiate the suspect from the vehicle.
“A 26-year-old man was arrested safely,” Buckle said. “A firearm replica was recovered at the scene and fortunately no one was injured as a result of the incident.”
Both Cline and Paquet had a good view of the conclusion.
The London Police Department was located on Rectory Street and Hamilton Road in London, Ont. on June 4, 2022 for reports of a man with a gun inside an ambulance. (Brent Lale / CTV News London) “We saw how it was booked,” Cline said. “They put him in the back of the police car after it all happened. It was pretty interesting, I guess he gave up.”
Paquet watched from his front widow, a few feet from the surrender.
“When the tactical force moved down and introduced his tactical vehicle and approached the perpetrator and knocked him down, it looked like he was doing very well,” Paquet said. “They caught him pretty quickly with what seemed like no problem.”
No charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
London police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact LPS at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).