Quebec provincial police say they have arrested a suspect, ending a state of alert advising people to “lock their doors” to protect themselves from the allegedly armed and “potentially dangerous” man.
On Friday afternoon, Quebecers received an emergency alert on their phones warning them of an armed suspect in the Gaspé region of eastern Quebec.
“Avoid the area,” reads the alert sent following an incident in the Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure area. “If you are in the affected area, take shelter indoors, lock doors, stay away from windows and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
Police say the man, whom they have not named, was spotted at the corner of Central Road and Rte. From the east. He is 1.78 meters (5 ft 10 in) tall and weighs approximately 82 kg (180 lb). He is white, has brown hair and green eyes. He wore jeans, a black top with the Jack Daniels logo and motorcycle boots.
Police arrested him around 9:25 p.m. and took him to a nearby hospital. He has since been released from care and will meet with investigators.
According to Stéphane Tremblay, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec, the man in his fifties was found in a mental crisis at his home in St-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure, about 900 kilometers northeast of Montreal, around 2 Friday morning hours.
Later, the man was reportedly armed and seen wandering in the forest near the town, which has around 400 inhabitants.
No injuries were reported.
Quebec Provincial Police released this image of a suspected armed and potentially dangerous suspect. Residents across the province received an alert advising them to take shelter due to a dangerous situation in the Gaspé region of Quebec on September 2, 2022 (Image: Sûreté du Québec)
A GREATER THAN EXPECTED REACH
The emergency alert was mistakenly sent to the entire province, Tremblay said, although it was actually only intended for residents of the region where the city is located.
Provincial police wrote on social media that they were investigating to find out why the alert had been sent so far from its intended range.
— Published with files by Max Harrold.
