An armed man who held several people hostage inside a bank in Vaughan on Wednesday afternoon was fatally shot after police tried to negotiate with him, York Regional Police say.

Const. Andy Pattenden said police used lethal force to “gain control of the subject” after attempting to negotiate with him.

The Special Investigations Unit, the province’s police watchdog, has taken over the investigation. Jason Gennaro of the SIU confirmed that the armed male was 25 years old, but couldn’t speak to where he was from.

“Investigators are examining the circumstance surrounding a fatal police-involved shooting,” Gennaro said Wednesday evening.

According to the SIU, the man entered the bank just after 1 p.m. What happened between that moment and when police were called to the branch near Dufferin St. and Major Mackenzie Dr. W. for reports of a man holding hostages is still unknown.

The SIU’s preliminary investigation found that two police officers discharged their guns and struck the armed man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gennaro said it is not yet clear what occurred in the standoff before the officers fired, and he was unable to share the names of the officers at this time.

Initially police were able to get some customers and employees out of the bank during the altercation, Pattenden said, but a number of people remained inside with the gunman.

“It did turn into a hostage situation for us.”

Pattenden said it was not immediately clear if the man was attempting to rob the bank. Hostages were all recovered with no injuries, and both York police and the SIU’s affected response co-ordinator will be working with them in the days ahead.

“They are definitely traumatized. This is a very traumatic event and we’re going to be doing everything we can to help those people,” Pattenden said.

Police were also investigating a vehicle of interest located outside of the bank.

Helicopters whirled above the snowy suburban neighbourhood as the hostages were treated in a bus ambulance parked in a shopping plaza enclosed by ribbons of yellow police tape.

The owner of the Esso station nearby described the moment the hostages were brought out, their hands tied with cable.

“They looked frightened,” said Maatn Arasaratnai. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Hostage situations are very challenging, but “York is a very well-equipped, very well-trained organization,” said Tom Hart, who has 20 years of experience as a negotiator for the Durham Regional Police Service and is now the president of Canadian Critical Incident Inc., which trains police in crisis negotiation.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

When police arrive at the scene of a hostage situation, their objective is to “contain, isolate and negotiate,” he said, adding that they’re aiming to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.

“It’s like a ladder of success for the negotiator,” he said. “If you get (the suspect) on the phone, you’re starting to win because his actions are directed toward the negotiator, and not acting out violently toward those hostages in the bank.”

With the suspect on the phone, the negotiator is going to want to assess who they’re dealing with and try to develop a rapport. What’s their name? Is this person responding based on emotion? Is it someone who planned to rob the bank and ended up taking hostages? Or is this someone who “planned and prepared” to take hostages as part of the robbery?

The negotiator, Hart continued, will try to figure out if the suspect is impaired or if he has any mental health conditions.

As the negotiator is assessing the suspect, they’re also trying to establish “hooks and triggers,” things they can use to negotiate with the suspect and things that may cause the suspect to get upset. At the same time, they’re developing a strategy to de-escalate the situation, Hart said.

Meanwhile, the tactical team will develop tactical plans to rescue the hostages.

While Hart was also unsure what happened that led the police to use lethal force, “the suspect determines the outcome,” he said.

“In Ontario, it’s very clear you have to have an immediate lethal threat to your safety or the safety of others to justify the use of force.”

Police specializing in explosives were still inside the bank late Wednesday afternoon, said Const. Pattenden, completing their investigation. They were part of an emergency response team that also included air support and crisis negotiators. “There is no threat to public safety,” he said.

SIU is asking any witnesses to come forward with any information about the situation.

With files from Ainslie Cruickshank and Alexandra Jones

Read more about: