Man arrested after armed standoff at Iqaluit hospital

A 23-year-old man armed with a rifle has been arrested without incident after a standoff with the RCMP in Iqaluit.

The man surrendered to police with the help of an RCMP negotiator. His name has not yet been released and no charges have yet been laid.

No one was injured in the incident.

Police said the man walked in the front doors of the hospital at about 1 p.m. local time and began making demands of the staff.

The police emergency response team was on the scene shortly after that, entering the hospital through different locations. They evacuated as many people as possible and isolated the man in the lobby.

"We were able to... contain the location of this man and secure him, making sure everybody else within the context of that hospital is, in fact, safe," said RCMP Sgt. Jimmy Akavak.

At about 2:30 p.m. the man was escorted out of the hospital by police. He was handcuffed. Police allowed him to have a quick cigarette before taking him away in a police cruiser.

All outpatient services and clinic appointments were cancelled.

The RCMP also asked the public to stay away from the area while they dealt with the incident.

The emergency room has since re-opened, and is accepting patients.  

People who were inside the hospital during the incident describe taking cover when they heard an armed man was inside. Some people were surprised at the incident, while others weren't, given the high level of gun violence in the territory.