Armed standoff that led to St. Paul 'civil emergency' results in 17 charges

A 31-year-old man has been charged with 17 offences after an all-night standoff on the Saddle Lake Cree Nation outside of St. Paul, RCMP said.

Someone called policeat about 7 p.m. Sunday to report that an armed man had barricaded himself inside a home on the reserve. When police arrived, they found that two family members, a man and a woman, were inside the house.

As a precaution, the regional director of emergency management enacted a local civil emergency.RCMPblocked off a section of Highway 36 and the surrounding area.

"We wanted to keep people out of that area as much as possible," Cpl. Ronald Bumbrytold CBC News.

Traffic was temporarily re-routed near the community of St. Brides as a precaution.

The woman emerged fromthe home at about 11 p.m. Sunday, police said.

On Monday morning, the RCMP went into the home and arrested the man without incident.

Police took firearms and ammunition from the residence.

• St. Paul 'civil emergency' called off

Charges against the man, who was known to police,include forcible confinement, pointing a firearm, uttering threats, assault with a weapon andcareless use of a firearm.

The man is scheduled to appear in St. Paul provincial court on March 2.