An earlier incident that resulted in the closure of Highway 1 and the Mosquito Creek Trail had been the result of a man suffering an apparent mental health crisis, say North Vancouver police.
At 9:30 a.m. on Monday police were made aware of a man acting erratically and causing public alarm along the Mosquito Creek Trail under the Highway 1 overpass, said North Vancouver RCMP in a statement.
The man, seemingly suffering a mental episode, was in possession of a number of makeshift weapons and had been aggressive and threatening towards responding officers.
Officers closed off the area, diverting traffic to Westview Drive and Capilano Road, and had called specialists from the Integrated Emergency Response Team (IERT) and a psychologist for assistance, the statement said.
North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson Mansoor Sahak said "dozens" of officers had been called to the incident.
"We had officers that were blocking the highway in both directions. There were officers blocking the trail, and there was also officers from specialized units like the Integrated Emergency Response Team, Integrated Police Dog Services, and the crisis negotiators," he said.
"There were a lot of resources that were tied up on this incident, this was a large operation."
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the man had been apprehended under provisions of the Mental Health Act and transported to hospital for treatment.
Sahak said there are no charges currently being considered for the man, who is known within the community and has police history.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Monday witnesses in the area had noted seeing traffic at a standstill and armed police officers on Highway 1.
One witness who spoke to the North Shore News said it was evident something "big" had happened, as he had seen militarized police descend upon the trail and had heard a man screaming, shouting, and singing loudly.
He had heard a loud bang, followed by smaller bangs afterwards that sounded like rubber bullets, he said.
Mosquito Creek Park, at Fell Avenue and 16th Street, is the beginning point for Mosquito Creek trails, which travel up to Grouse Mountain along the Mosquito Creek Ravine.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
