by Ric Stryde
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Aug 11/97) - An Iqaluit woman was treated by Baffin Regional Hospital staff for a minor cut to her arm after she and her child were taken hostage for six hours, Friday night.

Sila Mike of Iqaluit was staying at the Qimaavik Woman's Shelter when a man forcibly entered the shelter armed with a knife.

Approximately 20 others who were staying at the shelter were able to escape. But Mike and her four-year-old daughter were taken hostage by a man police described as Mike's estranged common law husband and the father of the child.

RCMP Const, Chris Pageau was the first of three negotiators on the scene. They eventually talked the armed man into surrendering at about midnight.

Pageau said that the negotiators talked about things that the armed man would be interested in an effort to keep his attention at all times.

Pageau said he spoke to the man about hockey, because the suspect plays it, and is also a big fan.

"The main function of the negotiator is to keep eye-contact with the suspect," said Pageau.

This way you always know what they are doing, and can talk them out peacefully, instead of breaking in and risking violence, he added.

The suspect has been taken into custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Iqaluit this week on charges of hostage taking, possession of an offensive weapon, assault, and assault causing bodily harm.

Mike received "a couple" of stitches while in hospital to close the wound on her on her left hand, and spent a few hours recovering before being released early Saturday morning, said Pageau.

The child was not injured in the incident.