Ottawa police on scene at Rideau Centre for ‘active’ call — cause unclear
One person is in custody amid an ongoing operation with a heavy police presence at the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa.
Police told Global News they are responding to an “active” call but could not confirm any details. Ottawa paramedics also told Global News they are on the scene assisting with a police investigation, but did not offer further details other than to say there are no injuries at this time.
Due to an ongoing police operation, please avoid Dalhousie Street to the Canal and the Mackenzie King Bridge.
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En raison d'une opération policière en cours, veuillez éviter la rue Dalhousie vers le canal et le pont Mackenzie King.
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 22, 2022
Ottawa police in a tweet at 12:46 p.m. ET urged the public to avoid the area of Dalhousie Street to the Rideau Canal, and the Mackenzie King Bridge due to a “police operation.”
The initial tweet was deleted because it may have contained information that was not yet confirmed, OPS Const. Paramjit Singh told Global News.
An OPS spokesperson told Global News that the situation remains active as of Tuesday at 1:25 p.m.
Ottawa resident Victor Avila told Global News that he arrived at the mall around 12:15 p.m. and five to 10 minutes later heard an alarm when he was shopping in Nordstrom, which is located at the south end of the mall near Mackenzie King Bridge.
“An alarm went off, not saying it’s an emergency, just saying the building needs to be evacuated, right now,” he said in a call.
When he emerged back onto Mackenzie King, he counted roughly 15 emergency vehicles — ambulances and police cruisers — on the scene.
On the other side of the mall around the same time, shopper Alice Clark said she was heading up an escalator near the H&M outlet when police rushed up another escalator behind her.
She told Global News in a direct message over Twitter that she hurried off into a nearby store, where an employee locked the door.
Tuesday marks the first day the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa reopened following a police operation to clear out the convoy blockade encamped in the core for more than three weeks.
More to come.
— with files from Global’s Ahmar Khan
by Global News
