Police take man into custody after learning of airport suicide pact

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2012 (5327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Officials rushed to the Winnipeg airport Monday night after learning of a suicide pact between a 27-year-old man and 33-year-old woman involving potentially hazardous chemicals.

The plan between the two began after they met each other online, police said, leading the woman to fly into Canada to meet the man from Winnipeg.

However, after officials at the Vancouver Airport met the woman and asked her questions about her trip, they took her into custody.

Police then learned of a vehicle the man was planning to pick her up in when she arrived at the James Richardson International Airport containing chemicals.

Winnipeg Airports Authority spokeswoman Christine Alongi said the vehicle was parked about 20 metres away from the airport’s main terminal, in the arrivals area.

Alongi said the incident shut down traffic outside the terminal for about 15 minutes.

At about 11 p.m., officers stopped the vehicle on the 1900 block of Wellington Avenue, and members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service – including members of the HAZMAT team – went to check out the vehicle. Police said they determined the vehicle had a “liquid chemicals” inside sealed containers.

“We certainly are speculating… at this point that maybe a combination of these chemicals could create a gas that could be harmful,” said Michalyshen.

“And certainly, there were concerns for the safety and well-being of these two individuals.”

The man was taken into custody. Officials determined the chemicals were safe, and the pair had no plans to hurt others.

“There was no indication that anyone else in harm’s way as a result of the incident,” said Const. Jason Michalyshen, spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service.

Police said they are not pursuing charges against the pair.

Police didn’t say the woman’s home country, but said she wasn’t from Canada.

Michalyshen said the chemicals officials found are types available from a hardware store.

He said the incident caused a road airport to shut down for about an hour as a result, and did not affect air traffic.

Gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca