Canadian police stand guard outside Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada on July 2, 2020, after an armed man who entered the grounds was arrested in the property that is home to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the country's governor general (Mohamed KADRI / AFP)
TORONTO (AP) — An armed man crashed his truck through a gate on the grounds where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives Thursday before being arrested two hours later. Police identified the suspect as a member of Canada’s armed forces.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement that Trudeau was not present at the time of the incident in Ottawa.
Police said the man crashed his truck through the gate at 6:30 am and was quickly contained in a greenhouse on the sprawling property before being arrested without incident two hours later.
Police said the man was being interviewed. Police did not release his name and said charges were pending. A spokeswoman for Canada’s defense minister declined to comment while the investigation was in progress.
In this May 19, 2020, file photo, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during his daily news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Ontario. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Trudeau lives on the grounds of the property where Canada’s Governor General resides. The governor general, currently Julie Payette, is the representative of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, and holds a mostly ceremonial position. Payette also was not at the home at the time.
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Trudeau, his wife and three children live in a cottage on the property because the prime minister’s traditional residence is in disrepair.
“We thank the RCMP and police for quickly resolving the situation this morning at Rideau Hall. All of our staff are safe,” Payette tweeted.
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