A man was taken into custody following a police incident on Watson Road in Chilliwack on Monday (April 1).
It all unfolded around 2:25 p.m. after Chilliwack RCMP received a complaint of a theft from a local business in Sardis, leading police to a residence in the 45000-block of Watson Road.
Reports on social media stated the incident happened at Watson Willows, a townhouse complex right across the street from Watson Elementary School, and lasted for more than three and a half hours.
RCMP’s Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in as the man “made threats to harm police and damage local infrastructure,” Cpl. Carmen Kiener, media spokesperson for the Chilliwack RCMP, stated in a press release on April 2.
During the investigation RCMP learned there may have been a suspicious substance inside the residence that could pose a safety risk to the public. The residence was secured by police and through a risk assessment, it was determined that an evacuation of the neighbourhood was not required.
The RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit was called in and the following day, on April 2, a search of the residence determined that the suspicious substance did not pose a risk to public safety.
“This is an example of Chilliwack RCMP frontline members’ unwavering commitment to ensuring ongoing safety in our community. They acted quickly to secure a potential threat and mitigate any risk to the public,” Kiener said.
The man, identified as 37-year-old Ian Madden, was held in custody pending a bail hearing and has been charged with uttering threats and theft under $5,000.
Madden was scheduled to appear at the Abbotsford Law Courts on April 2.