OTTAWA -- An armed man who was arrested by the RCMP on the grounds of Rideau Hall early Thursday morning is an active Canadian Armed Forces member, CTV News confirms.
RCMP said Thursday morning the man was able to access the grounds around 6:30 a.m. He was arrested without incident and is in custody. Police said charges are pending. They have not released the man's name.
CTV News has confirmed the suspect has been identified as Corey Hurren of Bowsman, Man. He is a Canadian Ranger.
"The Canadian Armed Forces is collaborating closely with the RCMP," a CAF spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News. "As the RCMP is the lead investigative body for this matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time."
The Prime Minister and Governor General were not on the grounds at the time of the incident, police said. There were no injuries reported.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the grounds of Rideau Hall are closed, and public tours and events at both Rideau Hall and the Citadelle are cancelled or postponed until further notice.
A stretch of Sussex Drive near Rideau Hall was closed Thursday morning for the investigation, which saw a large police presence head to the Rideau Hall grounds.
A black pickup truck with Manitoba plates could be seen partway up the driveway with airbags deployed, and debris could be seen near the front gate. There was also damage to the front gate itself.
A police robot was sent to investigate the truck and its contents. It could be seen pulling a garbage bag from inside the truck. There were also two cardboard boxes piled on the back seat.
In a press release, the RCMP alleged the suspect breached the gate with his vehicle, which was disabled on impact.
"The armed suspect then proceeded on foot on the grounds of Rideau Hall to the greenhouse, an onsite structure with limited public access, where he was rapidly contained by RCMP members who were on patrol in the area," the press release said.
Mounties said the man was taken into custody at around 8:30 a.m. without incident. They did not elaborate on what weapon or weapons the man was allegedly carrying.
Police said the bomb team was deployed "as a precaution" to secure the truck.
"The suspect's identity will be confirmed as soon as possible," the RCMP release said. "We can confirm that the individual arrested by the RCMP is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. The RCMP is collaborating closely with the Canadian Armed Forces."
In a tweet, Governor General Julie Payette said, "We thank the RCMP and police for quickly resolving the situation this morning at Rideau Hall. All of our staff are safe."
Sussex Drive reopened to traffic shortly after 9 a.m., but police remained at Rideau Hall into the afternoon.
With files from CTV's Annie Bergeron-Oliver and CTV's Leah Larocque.
