Yellowknife (Oct 31/03) - A Yellowknife man is facing 14 charges after an armed hostage-taking at a mid-town apartment complex, Wednesday.

Police say the hostages were held at gunpoint in a Shaganappy apartment for more than six hours before the man surrendered to police at around 2 p.m.

Police say at least one hostage was pistol-whipped.

Details of the hostage-taking are still sketchy, said RCMP Sgt. Daryl Key, but the man gave himself up without incident.

"We didn't have to knock down the door. There was no dramatic entrance," he said of how the police captured the man.

The man later assaulted an officer while being transferred into an RCMP holding cell.

Travis Harold Bourke, 27, faces three counts of pointing a firearm at a person, four counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of using a firearm for forcible confinement, three counts of assault and one breach of probation.

Police aren't saying how many people were held against their will, but the three forcible confinement-related charges suggest there were three hostages.

Key said the hostages were "acquaintances" but he did not know if they were related.

Key confirmed at least one of the hostages was released from the apartment during the tense standoff.

A neighbour said the suspect was not staying in the apartment and that he was only visiting.

Police were in contact with a man inside the apartment since 11:30 a.m.

"The situation has been resolved and we're in the process of investigating the incident. Those details will come out in the future," Key said Thursday afternoon.

RCMP and Municipal Enforcement officers cordoned off a six-block radius around the Ptarmigan-Shaganappy apartment complex for the better part of Wednesday morning and afternoon.

Residents were barred from their apartments and cars were directed away from the scene.

Roughly 15 Yellowknife RCMP officers participated in the operation, including the Emergency Response Team.

Key said the RCMP's investigation is ongoing and more charges are pending.