Niagara police are advising residents in an area of Port Colborne, Ont., to shelter in place.
They’ve received information about a “possible weapons incident” — east of the Welland Canal and south of Durham Street, police said in a news release Wednesday morning.
“At this time, police are asking residents in the area to remain inside and lock their doors until the suspect has been apprehended,” say police.
“This is not an active shooter situation. Police are requesting members of the public [to] remain in their residence in order to allow officers to safely conduct their duties.”
Joe White, a Port Colborne resident, happened to drive by one of the locations with a heavy police presence on Wednesday morning.
“I said ‘Wow.’ What’s going on here in this little town, eh?” White said.
Around 12:30 p.m., police released the name and image of a suspect — Brady Neff, 27 — who they say is “wanted, armed and dangerous.”
Police say they are looking for Brady Neff, 27, who could be armed. (Niagara Regional Police Service)
A number of schools were also in a “hold and secure,” police say. They were, Dewitt Carter Public School, Lakeshore Catholic High School, Elementary School Catholic Saint-Joseph, and St. Therese Catholic Elementary School, but it was lifted by 1:30 p.m.
A hold and secure occurs when there’s a threat in the general vicinity of a school, but not on, or very close to school property.
Officers with the Emergency Unit Taskforce had “contained the incident” to an address on Fares Street, north of Louis Street, and at a second address on Mitchell Street between Nickel Street and Decew Street.
In the afternoon, police shifted their investigation to an area between Delhi Street and Charlotte Street, and Elm Street and the west side of the canal.
Anyone with information about the location of Neff is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers. If he’s seen, police say to call 911 and not approach him.
WATCH | Niagara police investigate a ‘possible weapons incident in Port Colborne, Ont.:
Niagara police tell some residents of Port Colborne, Ont., to shelter in place amid ongoing ‘weapons incident’
Police in Port Colborne, Ont., are investigating, Wednesday morning, what they say is a “possible weapons incident” that involves a suspect who is “wanted, armed and dangerous.”