Highway and trail in North Vancouver closed over "unfolding police incident"
Mounties diverted traffic on Highway 1 in North Vancouver Monday afternoon as they dealt with an “unfolding” incident in the Mosquito Creek area.
According to a news release issued after the fact, officers responded just after 9:30 am to reports of a man acting erratically on the Mosquito Creek Trail under the Highway 1 overpass.
Officers arrived to find a man in mental health crisis who was in possession of “a number of makeshift weapons,” Const. Mansoor Sahak said. The man apparently became aggressive toward officers, and threatened harm.
Police closed the trail as well as the highway above, and a crisis negotiator spoke with the man while consulting with a psychologist over the phone.
Just after 1:30 pm, the man was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital. He was not injured, according to police.
“In order to conduct operations safely, officers were required to temporarily close Highway 1 in both directions and to block access to the Mosquito Creek Trail,” Sahak said. “The highway was reopened shortly after the incident was resolved. RCMP would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding during this incident.”
Highway 1 was closed in both directions from Westview Drive to Capilano Road for more than an hour as police dealt with the issue. Video from the scene showed one officer in tactical gear on the highway, and North Vancouver RCMP advised drivers to avoid the area completely.
Police also blocked access to the popular Mosquito Creek trail below the highway.
Traffic on Hwy 1 west bound is being diverted at Westview Dr. Traffic on Hwy 1 east bound is being diverted at Capilano Rd. Motorists are advised to avoid the area. @DriveBC @CityNewsTraffic @TranBC
— North Vancouver RCMP (@nvanrcmp) May 29, 2023
Drive BC shared a photo of an empty Highway 1.
⛔UPDATE – #BCHwy1 Closed both directions due to police incident between Capilano Rd & Westview Dr. Expect delays. https://t.co/7DMTzdrhbm #NorthVan #WestVan pic.twitter.com/NVAnBEH0vb
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) May 29, 2023
Around 1:45 pm, Mounties announced the incident had concluded with a “positive resolution.”
The highway reopened in both directions, with some officers staying on the scene.
“We’d like to thank the public for their patience,” the force said.
Update: the police incident has concluded with a positive resolution. #BCHwy1 is now open in both directions, with police remaining on scene for the time being. We’d like to thank the public for their patience.@DriveBC @CityNewsTraffic @AM730traffic #NorthVan #WestVan https://t.co/P8fDT5gYeL
— North Vancouver RCMP (@nvanrcmp) May 29, 2023
Drive BC told drivers to expect volume delays due to congestion.
Update: the police incident has concluded with a positive resolution. #BCHwy1 is now open in both directions, with police remaining on scene for the time being. We’d like to thank the public for their patience.@DriveBC @CityNewsTraffic @AM730traffic #NorthVan #WestVan https://t.co/P8fDT5gYeL
— North Vancouver RCMP (@nvanrcmp) May 29, 2023