Police say situation resolved after reports of possibly armed person in downtown Winnipeg

Police say several officers on scene for several hours Friday in downtown Winnipeg were responding to a person having a mental health crisis who police believed may have been armed.

The situation unfolded just before 9 a.m.in an apartment building nearSargent Avenue and Kennedy Street and was resolved by about3:15 p.m., police said.

At a news conference Friday afternooon, Const. Rob Carver said police earlier had reason to believe the person might have had a firearm, but that turned out not to be the case.

"We did not have anything to support or confirm that, but we can't discard that information in a heavy urban environment," he said.

The situation was resolved safely and the individual is now receiving medical care, Carver said. He said the person was an adult but couldn't give any other information about their identity.

Carver said he wasn't aware of any charges being laid against the person.

At least 30 Winnipeg police officers were on scene responding to the call Friday, including most of the tactical support team and a crisis negotiator, Carver said.

Officers blocked off a large area in the downtown core as they responded to the incident.Schools and daycares in the area hadbeen asked to usehold-and-secure measures as a precaution.

"We realize what a huge inconvenience that is and how difficult it is, but we really don't have any other choice," Carver said.