Emergency alert lifted following arrest of allegedly armed and 'potentially dangerous' suspect in Gaspesie
Quebec provincial police say they've arrested a suspect, effectively ending a state of alert advising people to "lock their doors" to protect themselves against the allegedly armed and "potentially dangerous" man.
On Friday afternoon, Quebecers got an emergency alert on their phones warning of an armed suspect in the Gaspesie region in eastern Quebec.
"Avoid the area," read the alert sent following an incident in the Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure area. "If you are in the affected area, shelter indoors, lock the doors, stay away from windows and follow the instructions of local authorities."
Police say the man, who they did not name, was spotted at the corner of Central Road and Rte. De l'Est. He is 5'10" (1.78 metres) tall and weighs about 180 lbs. (82 kgs). He is white, with brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing jeans, a black top with a Jack Daniels logo and motorcycle boots.
Police arrested him at around 9:25 p.m. and brought him to a nearby hospital. He has since been released from care and will meet with investigators.
According to Stephane Tremblay, a spokesperson for the Surete du Quebec, the man in his 50s was found to be in a mental crisis in his home in St-Elzear-de-Bonaventure, about 900 kilometres northeast of Montreal, around 2 a.m. Friday.
The man was later said to be armed and seen wandering around in the forest near the town, which has a population of about 400 residents.
There were no reported injuries.
Quebec's provincial police released this image of a suspect alleged to be armed and potentially dangerous. Residents across the province got an alert advising them to take shelter due to a dangerous situation in Quebec's Gaspesie region on Sept. 2, 2022 (Image: Surete du Quebec)
A LARGER-THAN-EXPECTED REACH
The emergency alert was mistakenly sent out to the entire province, Tremblay said, although it was actually intended only for people in the region where the town is located.
Provincial police wrote on social media that they were investigating to find the reason why the alert was sent so far outside its intended reach.
-- Published with files from Max Harrold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.