Brian Augean Takolik, 29, faces charges after a four-hour standoff with Nunavik police in Kangirsuk Saturday. (Image courtesy of Nunavik Police Service/Facebook)
Suspect identified in Kangirsuk shooting spree
Community emergency lasted 4 hours, Nunavik Police Service captain says
A 29-year-old man has been charged after a four-hour standoff Saturday in Kangirsuk.
Police received a call shortly after 8 a.m. about a man armed with a rifle shooting at random houses, said Nunavik Police Service Capt. Patrice Abel in an interview.
Abel identified the man as Brian Augiak Takolik.
Police officers patrolled the community after the call and found the suspect at House 122. Upon seeing the police, the suspect jumped on his snowmobile and fled.
While fleeing, he fired a few shots at a loader, Abel said.
An officer then fired two shots in the direction of the suspect but couldn’t tell if he had hit him due to low visibility caused by a blizzard that day.
Police lost sight of the suspect for about an hour, Abel said.
At 11:05 a.m., a community member using a drone located the suspect, who was by then about 150 kilometres away from Kangirsuk. The community member shared footage with police.
“Police officers went by and they were able to see him, sitting on his Ski-Doo,” Abel said.
“He didn’t do anything at this time.”
Earlier in the day, police had urged people via Facebook to stay indoors until the emergency was resolved.
The Nunavik Police Service doesn’t have a designated emergency response team for standoff situations. Instead, Surêté du Quebec, which has a SWAT team, is called in.
Those officers were on standby as the situation unfolded, Abel said.
Takolik drove to the police station at 12:05 p.m. on his snowmobile, dropped his rifle in front of the building and drove away, Abel said.
At 12:28 p.m, Takolik returned to the police station and was arrested.
Abel did not provide a complete list of charges but said Takolik faces counts of possession of a firearm while on probation and operating a motor vehicle while prohibited by a court order, among others.
No injuries were reported but properties, including house windows, were damaged, Abel said.
Investigators brought Takolik to Kuujjuaq on Monday afternoon and he is currently detained.
He is set to appear in court Tuesday.
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