Charges approved in armed stand off: Vancouver Police

Charges have been approved against two Vancouver men following a Vancouver Police investigation into an armed stand-off in a Downtown Eastside building in early January.

VPD officers responded to an apartment building near Princess Avenue and Powell Street at around 7 p.m. on January 2, after a witness saw a man with a rifle. During a prolonged stand-off, one suspect came out of a suite and was injured by police. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

On Friday, Matthew Venn, 32, was charged with two counts of uttering threats, two counts of assault with a weapon and one count of use of an imitation firearm while committing an offence. Martin Partel, 31, was charged with one count of uttering threats, one count of assault with a weapon, one count of possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose and one count of use of imitation firearm while committing an offence.

Venn and Partel have been released from custody and are due back in court in February. The Independent Investigations Office of BC also has its own investigation underway.