Ottawa, ON (WNews) – A police operation at the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa. is now over, with one person in custody and an investigation ongoing.
However, the details of what prompted the operation remain unclear.
Ottawa police confirmed the end of the operation at 3:31 p.m. Eastern, following roughly three hours of heavy police presence at the mall.
Ottawa police in a tweet at 12:46 p.m. ET had urged the public to avoid the area of Dalhousie Street to the Rideau Canal, and the Mackenzie King Bridge due to a “police operation.”
Shortly after, at 12:55 p.m., the police tweeted that one individual was in custody and that the incident was a “shoplifting” case with a possible weapon. That tweet was then deleted, with police posting a subsequent notice stating that one person is in custody and “the police operation ongoing.”
The initial tweet was deleted because it may have contained information that was not yet confirmed.
Tuesday marked the first day the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa reopening following a police operation to clear out the convoy protests encamped in the core for more than three weeks.