An armed standoff between a lone gunman and South Simcoe Police emergency response officers ended peacefully Tuesday afternoon when police subdued a 35-year-old man.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. police received a call concerning a man with a firearm in a house on Cove Avenue in Innisfil’s north-east end.

Police quickly sealed off an area bounded by Mapleview Drive, Pinegrove Avenue and Fleming Blvd.

Sgt. Bob Eeles of South Simcoe Police said police learned about the gunman “shortly after noon hour. We were alerted to a man on Cove Avenue contemplating suicide. He indicated he may hurt others, such as police, or paramedics, approaching the house. For safety reasons, the area was cordoned off and the road closed for public safety.”

Eeles said the man appeared “to be under the influence of drugs, or alcohol. He was taken into custody without incident.”

A Beach Street resident who only wanted to be identified as “Sheena” told the Innisfil Journal, “police told us to get off of our driveways and go inside.”

Students from both Nantyr Shores Secondary School and St. Peter’s Secondary School had to wait for the go-ahead before returning to their homes.

Shortly after 3 p.m., a waiting ambulance was sent through the police blockade to a house at 3278 Cove Avenue. A few minutes later, paramedics left the house with the man on a stretcher.

Samara Hart of Cove Avenue, said, “this is a very quiet street. Everybody knows everybody. This is unexpected – that’s for sure.”

Madisyn Anderson lives up the street from the residence.

“There’s a family that lives there,” Anderson said.

She thought the man in question was a tenant renting a room above the garage.

Jessica DaSilva, who lives on Warnica Avenue said, “I’m glad they caught the guy. It kind of makes me think. I walk down this road all the time. I guess it’s good he didn’t hurt himself. I hope he gets good treatment.”

The unidentified man was taken by ambulance to Royal Victoria Hospital, accompanied by a police cruiser.