The Riverside campus of the Ottawa Hospital was briefly on lockdown Friday morning after initiating a “code silver,” indicating someone was on site with a weapon.
Two people are now in custody and the lockdown has since been lifted, a hospital spokesperson confirmed in a statement to the Ottawa Citizen .
“There is no cause for concern at this time,” the spokesperson wrote. “Staff and patients on site are being asked to follow directions from OPS and The Ottawa Hospital’s Protective Services.”
Police said they responded to reports of a person with a weapon at the Riverside campus at about 10:05 a.m.
“Officers are on scene and will be investigating. No injuries have been reported, and there is no known threat to public safety,” police said in a statement.
Several Ottawa Police vehicles remained parked outside the hospital after the Code Silver was lifted. Small groups of people stood outside watching the response and discussing what they had heard.
Amanda Arbeau was waiting for her brother, who was undergoing surgery, when the announcement was made over the hospital’s PA system.
“I just heard there was a Code Silver and I saw all these cops come rolling in,” she said.
Arbeau said access to the hospital entrance was restricted as officers arrived.
“They wouldn’t let anybody in or out,” she said. “It was pretty big. A lot of police presence.”
She said people who had been on the fifth floor were directed downstairs while police dealt with the situation.
“People were just coming downstairs because they were told to leave that floor,” she said.
Although the incident was resolved quickly, Arbeau said it was unsettling to witness.
“It’s a little scary, to be honest,” she said.
On the hospital’s main floor, Lorraine Clavel, who was selling jewelry at a vendor table, said she saw officers rush through the building shortly after the Code Silver was called.
“I saw about 15 policemen and women walking very quickly,” Clavel said. “One of the policemen had a big AK-47 in his hand, almost ready to go. They were in a hurry.”
Paramedics added they received the call from Ottawa police about the incident, but never arrived on scene since the request was cancelled while they were en route, according paramedic spokesperson Marc-Antoine Deschamps.
Patients who have appointments at the Riverside campus are still asked to arrive as scheduled.
“We want to thank our staff and police for responding to this incident quickly, and for keeping everyone safe,” the spokesperson said.
