Mentally ill man who barricaded himself in hotel room facing assault charges

VANCOUVER – A mentally ill man is facing assault charges after allegedly punching a woman and barricading himself in a Vancouver hotel room.

Const. Brian Montague says police and mental health experts negotiated with the 53-year-old man for several hours before officers forced themselves into his fifth-floor residence and arrested him.

Montague says police arrived at the hotel at about 4:30 a.m., after a woman was punched in the face, but the man refused to open his door.

He says police obtained a warrant to enter the suspect’s room but continued to negotiate with him.

Montague says police were concerned that the man’s deteriorating mental health would continue to pose a danger to the public.

He says the suspect has a lengthy criminal history and has previously committed unprovoked and random attacks.