Man in western P.E.I. leaves house with 'arms in the air,' neighbours say

A man in western P.E.I. surrendered peacefully to police Sunday after a tense situation in which police asked residents to stay inside and others to avoid the area, neighbours say.

In a news release issued at 3:25 p.m., RCMP said the "situation has been dealt with."

They provided no other details, other than to request that people continue to avoid the area on Route 14 in Nail Pond between the Back Settlement Road and Route 182, where the man was seen emerging from a home. 

Hal Perry, the MLA for the area, confirmed in a Facebook post that the man surrendered after "lengthy negotiations."

West Prince RCMP sent an email early Sunday asking people to avoid the area due an "active incident in progress." They said there was no danger to the public.

However, neighbours said said the situation was "nerve-racking" as at least nine police cars and an armoured truck were stationed outside the home. They said police told residents to stay inside, lock their doors and turn off their lights.

Neighbour Florence DesRoches said she was sitting in her living room when she saw police apprehend the man at around 2:30 p.m.

"When I looked out the window, I just noticed him walking out of the house with his arms up in the air and the armoured truck pulled up and there was cars come from everywhere," DesRoches said.

When I looked out the window, I just noticed him walking out of the house with his arms up in the air and the armoured truck pulled up and there was cars come from everywhere— Florence DesRoches

She said police approached him, he got down on the ground, they pointed guns at him, and he was handcuffed and taken back inside.

Allan McInnis, mayor of the nearby town of Tignish, said the local fire hall was offered as a base for police. He said police told him Sunday morning "everything was well being taken care of."

DesRoches said police were on scene for several hours.

"People were calling my place constantly because they knew we live up here and they wanted to know what was going on, and when you don't know what's going on and nobody is telling you anything ... it's kinda nerve-racking."

Maritime Electric had a planned power outage in the area from 2-6 a.m. However, a spokesperson for the utility said it was not related to the incident.

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