TARA, ONT -- A six-hour standoff in the Bruce County community of Tara has come to a peaceful conclusion.
A lone male was taken into custody without incident around 11:30 a.m., after police converged on the small town with officers and equipment from across Southern Ontario.
The “high-risk situation” began around 5:15 a.m.
Police created a large perimeter around a home on Yonge Street, putting up barricades encompassing half of the town.
The local school, Arran-Tara Elementary, was put into a hold and secure for most of the day. Rumours of an active shooter and bomb threats ran rampant throughout the town.
In the end, the OPP won’t say exactly what led to the incredibly large police presence in town, other than to say that, to their knowledge, the suspect did not make any specific threats to the community.
Police weren’t willing to say whether the suspect was armed or not, either. They say the large police perimeter had more to do with stopping people from entering Tara - for traffic rerouting purposes rather than for public safety.
Jim, who lives in a home right next door to the standoff says, “Woke up this morning to S.W.A.T in my backyard. The neighbour’s obviously been causing a bit of an issue in town.”
Rudy Wildeboer was walking around town with his wife and granddaughter during the standoff. He says, “I wasn’t worried. With the amount of police in town, I see no reason to be concerned.”
Tara resident Brenda had this to say, “I think it’s an overreaction. But I guess I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
The suspect’s name and impending charges have not yet been released by police. All roads in and around Tara have reopened.
Police say this was an isolated incident.
