An argument between neighbours on St. Laurent Blvd. prompted Montreal police to close a substantial part of the downtown core to traffic on Friday morning.

The dispute began at 11 p.m. on Thursday when neighbours got in an argument. One person called 9-1-1 saying the other made serious threats, and a man in his thirties went back to his apartment.

Police say they received tips that the man was armed, and overnight through repeated attempts they were managed to make contact with the resident.

Montreal police blocked off traffic to an area from Sherbrooke St. to Roy St. on St. Laurent Blvd., and from St. Urbain St. to St. Laurent Blvd. on Pine Avenue.

At 9:15 a.m. the SWAT team entered the apartment and found it was empty, with no sign of the suspect or a weapon. Police suspect the man may have been on a cell phone from another location.

Hours later police officers were still in the building conducting searches and talking to residents. They were not clear if the suspect actually lived in the building where he was supposedly holed up.

 

Quebec City Standoff

Meanwhile in Quebec City, a man who spent Thursday barricaded inside his home was arrested early Friday morning by police.

The tactical squad forcibly entered the man's home at 6:45 a.m. after pumping an incapacitating gas inside.

The 43-year-old man was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

He will be charged with making threats and for assault and battery.

The incident began at 5 p.m. Thursday when a woman fled the home and told police she had been attacked and threatened with more violence.

With a file from The Canadian Press