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Photo by Jason Payne / PNG

Montague said negotiators and the VPD’s emergency response team was brought in, and Robson Street was closed to pedestrians and traffic between Homer and Hamilton streets out of an abundance of caution. Officers were stationed outside the store’s front door, with guns drawn, while more officers were located in the alley by the building’s rear entrance with rams, used for forcing open doors.

After about an hour, Montague said the two men opened the rear door of the building, and were arrested. Police then asked the woman to exit the building as well but she was reluctant. After some time, police were able to enter the building and escorted the woman out wrapped in a white sheet.

“She, too, was unco-operative but she also appears to be under the influence (of drugs) at this time,” said Montague, noting the woman had been taken to hospital for treatment.

Police did not use any force in opening doors and there were no injuries. It remained unclear Friday afternoon if there were any weapons inside the shop.

Montague added that, during the negotiations, police were able to get in touch with a representative of the store, who told officers the business was closed and that nobody was on the premises.

“However, when we did take people into custody, he was one of the people inside the store at the time,” Montague said.

Following the incident, Montague said police were in the process of locking down the building so that investigators could search the Wind Mobile. Police are also in the process of interviewing all three individuals involved.

Photo by Jason Payne / PNG

“It’s very bizarre and I can honestly tell you we still don’t know, until we talk to everybody, until the woman has been cleared from hospital and is able to talk with us or is willing to talk with us, we may not know what was going on here,” said Montague. “We don’t know if we have a crime, we don’t know if what was going on inside was consensual or not. These are questions that we’re going to ask as well.”