Suspect in northeast London, Ont. standoff in custody, two officers injured

A London, Ont. man has been arrested in relation to an investigation in the northeast end of the city that commenced early Saturday morning.

Throughout the course of the day, police negotiated with a barricaded man, who they believed to be in possession of a gun, inside of an apartment building located at 621 Kipps Lane.

At about 7:30 p.m., two officers were injured at the scene.

Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the two London police officers to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

At 8:30 p.m., the male suspect was taken into custody, and a firearm was located.

A window is seen damaged on the sixth floor of 621 Kipps Lane following a standoff between a man and police on the evening of March 11, 2023. Earlier in the day, multiple police officers attended in the same building where another man died. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)The incident on Kipps Lane began at about 5 a.m. Saturday.

One person was reported dead Saturday morning during a standoff between London police and the suspect.

Inside, first responders said they found a seriously injured man who passed away a short time later.

They have not said what caused his death, but the Major Crime Section is investigating.

Chris, who resides on the 8th floor, said he heard yelling, screaming and loud music around 5 a.m. Next, he heard a thud.

“It sounded like something hitting a wall, a door, or a floor. Just a loud bang!” he recalled.

Chris went back to sleep before awakening around 9 a.m.

London, Ont. police can be seen inside the apartment building located at 621 Kipps Lane on March 11, 2023. (Jim Knight/CTV News London)

Soon afterward, he opened his door to the 8th-floor hallway, where he caught a disturbing sight near the elevator.

“The police tape was wrapped around the handle. So when I go to pull it, the police tape is coming in and I can see stuff going on over here,” he said. “And that’s when I saw the dead body and I saw all the cops.”

While police officers were in the building, they determined a man still inside posed a serious threat to people in the area.

Police blocked off a wide area surrounding the high-rise building. They also closed down a portion of Adelaide Street North, but that street was reopened at about 8:30 p.m.

London police allowed residents who were displaced from other buildings on Kipps Lane to return to their homes at about 8:45 p.m.

A heavy police presence can be seen at 621 Kipps Lane in London, Ont. on March 11, 2023. (Jim Knight/CTV News London)

Police confirmed the suspect they were negotiating with was a male who lives inside the apartment building.

Residents said he was seen on a balcony talking on a phone.

While many residents are taken aback by the death and the police activity, 621 Kipps Lane resident Roger Eastman said it is not a shock to him.

“I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “The police seem to come here quite a bit.”

Police said the investigation is ongoing and more updates will be provided once they become available.