Drunk man called police threatening to shoot himself

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Port Elgin's Main Street was in lock down yesterday morning after the RCMP received a 911 call from an intoxicated and suicidal man walking around the village with a handgun.

The 45-year-old Port Elgin man called 911 at 10 a.m., identified himself and said he was armed and wanted to take his own life. He was on a cellphone and said he was walking in the direction of the fire department, which shares a building with the village office. He then hung up.

RCMP Cpl. Don Moore, of the Sackville detachment, said officers were immediately dispatched from Shediac and Sackville to find the gunman. But it would take them a few minutes to get to Port Elgin and police were worried about the danger posed to the public.

Moore and another officer immediately called the village office and volunteer fire department and determined no one was inside the building. They then started calling every other place on Main Street they could think of, including the post office, a daycare and other businesses.

"Those are all places the public would be and we wanted to make sure everyone was safe," said Moore.

They told everyone they reached to lock their doors and stay out of sight. Police called approximately 12 places and asked some of them to call other businesses, offices and residents in the immediate area.

When police arrived, they cordoned off a large area. Codiac RCMP's dog handler was brought to the scene and three negotiators were ready to talk to the man once he was found.

The dog caught a scent, but was unable to trace it to the suspect. Police started receiving information from the community that the man might be nearby, at the water front.

Officers headed to the beach and found the man heavily intoxicated and passed out on the beach, near the wharf. He wasn't in much shape to talk but told the officers he threw the firearm into the waters of Baie Verte. Police divers will search for the weapon.

The man was arrested and could appear in court today, facing firearm charges.

Shortly after 12:15 p.m. police notified local offices, businesses and residents there was no longer any danger.