Yellowknife (Oct 18/06) - A stand-off between police and a resident holed up inside his home ended peacefully after the man surrendered following several hours of negotiations.

According to RCMP, a 27-year-old man left his home voluntarily around 8 p.m and was taken to RCMP headquarters.

A member of the Emergency Response team makes his way up Finlayson Drive. - Chris Puglia/NNSL photo

Police did not disclose the man's address, but officers were seen entering a house at 3 Cinnamon Court off Finlayson Drive shortly after the stand-off ended.

The day-long drama began when police received word of a stabbing around 9:30 a.m. A suspect was identified and later located at Cinnamon Court where he kept police at bay for the rest of the day.

A male victim suffering from several stab wounds was taken to hospital. His wounds were not expected to be fatal. It's unclear whether the man was armed during the stand-off.

Police officers would only confirm "it was an incident of serious nature."

A dozen emergency responders including RCMP, the Emergency Response Team, paramedics and the fire department were on scene through the afternoon and into the evening while frustrated residents living nearby were told to stay away from the area.

Police closed off an area from Hordal Road to the corner of Finlayson and England Court.

"Anyone on Cinnamon has been evacuated," said Les Harrison, director of social programs for the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority.

Harrison was at NJ Macpherson school, which was set up as a gathering point for around 20 families displaced by the evacuation.

Although RCMP did not begin stopping traffic through the area until early afternoon, a neighbour said he noticed police activity in the area at 10:30 a.m.

Teenager Ricky Marshall was walking to his friend's place on Finlayson when he was asked to turn around by a Yellowknife firefighter.

"They told me there was a stand-off," he told Yellowknifer.

St. Patrick high school studdent Jordan Silken, who lives on nearby Mandeville Drive – also blocked by the police – watched from the front of the blockade at Hordal Road. He said that St. Patrick administraitors had called students into the gym to inform them of the situation.

"They said to stay at the school if you live by there (the blockaded area)," said Silke.

At 5:30 p.m. the RCMP set up a "tactical truck" – a camper-type vehicle with a large antenna on top. RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich was unable to confirm whether it was used for negotiations. "Honestly I don't know that right now."

Dreilich said RCMP were informed of the incident by a phone call from a neighbour.

Media on the scene were chastised by RCMP Sgt. Larry O'Brien after Yellowknife radio station CJCD announced the movements of emergency response team members during a live broadcast.

Shortly before extending the blockade perimeter, O'Brien requested that the media not broadcast the location and movement of officers.

"We have had a problem with the broadcasting of our tactical position," said O'Brien. "We want to bring the tension down."

-with files from Mike W. Bryant and Jennifer Geens