Charges laid against armed man after 10-hour Vancouver hotel standoff

VANCOUVER – A Surrey, B.C. man who walked into a downtown Vancouver hotel with a gun and stayed put for 10 hours has been charged.

Vancouver Police say four weapons charges have been laid against 27-year-old Ranjit Sandhu, including unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.

The armed standoff began about 2:30 a.m. Monday when the man entered the Pacific Rim hotel on the city’s waterfront and then sat down and waited.

He was taken into custody with minor injuries and in distraught condition just after noon by the Vancouver Police Emergency Response Team.

Many hotel guests were told to stay in their rooms, while traffic was diverted around the hotel during the incident that occurred during morning rush hour.

Sandhu remains in custody until he is scheduled to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Oct. 19.