Canadian Armed Forces member arrested after gaining access to Rideau Hall grounds
Man was armed; prime minister, Governor General were not present at the time
Police have arrested a Canadian Armed Forces memberwho they say was armed and had gained access to the grounds at Rideau Hall early Thursday morning.
The man "breached the main pedestrian entrance" at 1 Sussex Drive at around 6:30 a.m. ET with his vehicle, the RCMP said in a statement.
When the impact disabled his vehicle, the man headed to the Rideau Hall greenhouse, where he was "rapidly contained" by RCMP members on patrol, the force said. He wasapprehended shortly before 8:30 a.m. without incidentand taken into custody for questioning.
CBC News has confirmed the man in custodyis Corey Hurren, an active member of the military who serves as a Canadian Ranger.
The Rangers are a component of the Canadian Army Reserve that servesin the remote and coastal regions, typically offering help with national security and public safety operations.
Someone who answered the phone at the Hurren household in Manitoba on Thursdayevening confirmed he'd been arrestedbut said she didn't want to speak further about the day's events.
Hurren ran a business called GrindHouse Fine Foods, whichmakes meat products. In promotional material for his business, Hurren is described as aRoyal Canadian Artillery veteran whorecently rejoined the military as a Canadian Ranger.
He is also a pastpresident ofhislocal Lion's Club, an active volunteer in his community of Bowsman, north-west of Winnipeg, and his group of Rangers were on call to be part of the military's assistance with the COVID-19 response.
WATCH | Canadian Armed Forces memberarmed with long gunarrested at Rideau Hall:
But in his posts on Facebook, he also revealed that the pandemic had taken a toll on his business.
"I'm not sure what will be left of our economy, industries and businesses when this all ends," he wrote May 26.
Both the RCMP and Defence MinisterHarjit Sajjan's officepreviously confirmedthe man arrested is in the military.
A source toldCBC News the man had driven from Manitoba and hada long gun and a note with him. The source who spoke on the condition they not be named because they were not authorized to discuss the case did not know the details of the note nor what kind of long gun it was.
Rideau Hall is the Governor General's official residence, and the greenhouse is attached to the residence at the back.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family also liveon the property atRideau Cottage,not far from the greenhouse.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the prime minister and his family were not at Rideau Cottage Wednesday night or Thursday morning. RCMP said the Governor General wasn't present either.
In a statement to CBC, Gov. Gen.Julie Payette's office said she had beenliving on the grounds prior to the pandemic and thatall staff were safe.
One of the wrought-iron gates leading to the property was left visibly damaged after the incident and debris could be seen on the ground earlier today.
A robot could be seen examining a black pickup truckjust inside the gates at Rideau Hall earlier today.The truck'sairbags also appeared to have beendeployed.
The inside of the truck's cab appeared to have been packed with boxes and other items.
The robot opened the door and removed several items from the truck, including an orange cooler and boxes.
There were also officers inspecting the underside ofthe truck with mirrors, while others had dogs and were inspecting both the inside of the truck and its contents.
The RCMP said late Thursday afternoon that charges are pending against the man, although they have not yet publiclyconfirmed his identity.
"Through our members' vigilance, quick action and successful de-escalation techniques, this highly volatile incident was resolved swiftly and peacefully. I am very proud of all our people and our partners who moved fast and acted decisively to contain this threat," RCMP deputy commissioner Mike Duhemesaid in a statement.
Peter Lewis livesnear Rideau Hall and was cycling along the Vanier Parkway just before 7 a.m. ET when he saw "a stream" of RCMP vehicles heading toward downtown.
WATCH | Police use a robot to investigate truck:
He then saw what he described as an armoured police vehicle.
"It's a little concerning," he said."I hope everybody's all right."
The grounds at Rideau Hall, as well as the house itself, arenormally major tourist attractions in the nation's capital, where people enjoy picnics on the grass or wanderthe gardens.
Both havebeen closed as a result of the coronaviruspandemic.
As of 6:15 p.m. ET, roads outside Rideau Hall were still closed for the investigation.
With files from Hillary Johnstone, Judy Trinh, Murray Brewster and Catherine Cullen
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