A Welland man is facing charges after he threatened Niagara police officers with a knife, a baseball bat, and a gun — causing a tense stand-off that lasted for over an hour.
On Sunday, officers began receiving reports around 3 p.m. that there was an armed man at a shopping plaza on Lincoln Street near Coventry Road in Welland.
Police say a woman had been walking through the parking lot when she was struck by an unknown man driving a vehicle.
When a witness followed the suspect, they were threatened with a knife.
Officers later attended a house on State Street, where they say the man threatened them with a knife, a bat and then a gun.
Crisis negotiators were called in, nearby homes were evacuated and the surrounding roads closed.
The man surrendered to officers around 4 p.m.
38-year-old James Hellam is facing several charges, and police say they are waiting on a search warrant for his home.