Man charged in police operation involving tear gas inside Whitehorse apartment

Yukon RCMP deployed tear gas inside an apartment in Whitehorse on Thursday — a move police said was part of an operation that arrested and charged one man with drug and weapon offences. Neighbours said the incident left them coughing and searching for answers.

In a news release Friday, the RCMP said police used tear gas in a short-term rental unit on Range Road as part of an investigation into a man who was the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant. 

RCMP said they found the wanted man on Thursday in a rental vehicle while he was buying gas in the neighbourhood of Riverdale. 

The man — who was wanted for various charges originating from Vancouver — was arrested without incident. He now faces new charges involving possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. 

RCMP said they continued their investigation and obtained a search warrant for that man’s residence. They said they knew of at least one person inside who was suspected to also be involved in illicit drug trafficking. 

“A risk assessment was conducted, and a Critical Incident Commander was engaged,” the RCMP stated in the news release, adding that the critical incident team included crisis negotiators. 

Because the person inside the apartment was believed to be associated with organized crime, RCMP said “it was determined that prior notification and evacuation of the entire building would have put the public at greater risk.” 

RCMP said emergency response team members deployed tear gas and entered the home with a ram and a ballistic shield. 

Officers arrested one man who was later released without charges, and seized items related to drug trafficking and $2,270 in cash. 

However, the tear gas affected other residents in the apartment building. 

Laurie Tritchler was at his girlfriend’s apartment when it began to fill with an irritant he initially couldn’t identify. 

He said police were outside the building for a while, flying a drone and generally milling around. Later on, he said he heard neighbours downstairs coughing and he began to smell and taste a vapour in the apartment. 

“This stuff was just horrible. It just attacked your nasal passages and tears were streaming down your face, and, you know, I couldn't stop coughing, and the whole time no one explained what was going on,” he said.

Tritchler said he plans to file a complaint over the incident.