Local man faces 23 charges after standoff

Lac La Biche RCMP have laid 23 charges against a 43 year old Lac La Biche man in connection with a Sunday night standoff that kept a portion of Highway 663 near Holowachuk Estates sealed off for more 20 hours.

Local RCMP were called out to a complaint of gunshots from a residence near Holowachuk Estates at approximately 4 pm on Sunday. When they arrived, they were told a man was inside the residence with firearms. A standoff continued through the night, until police say they arrested the lone occupant of the house at 11 am Monday. The arrest took place without incident and police say no one was injured during the event. Inside the home, police found five firearms.

Darren Emile Cadieux faces charges of careless use of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, uttering threats, five counts of unsafe storage of a weapon and six counts of discharging a firearm with intent. Police also say that Cadieux was wanted on two separate warrants at the time of the standoff.

He has been remanded into custody and will make his first appearance in St. Paul Provincial Court on January 31.