Photo: Contributed

UPDATE: 9:25 a.m.

Police shut down Highway 97 in Lake Country for several hours Thursday night after responding to a distraught man with a weapon in the woods near Roberts Road. 

A friend of the distraught man called police at about 5:45 p.m., saying the man was "in crisis."

Lake Country RCMP found the man in a wooded area with a weapon near Roberts Road. Police have not disclosed what type of weapon the man had, but police evacuated nearby homes and closed the highway.

The RCMP crisis negotiation team was brought in and after about four hours, the man surrendered to police. 

No charges have been laid at this time. 

UPDATE: 10:45 p.m.

Highway 97 has been reopened between Oceola and Robinson roads, and police have cleared the area, after a high-profile police incident closed the highway for several hours Thursday night. 

The nature of the incident still remains unclear, and police have yet to respond to Castanet's inquiry, but residents on Roberts Road were evacuated from their homes for some time, as many officers with rifles swarmed the area. 

UPDATE: 9:55 p.m.

A resident of Lake Country's Roberts Road says police officers have evacuated him and his neighbours from their homes. 

A police incident that began sometime before 8 p.m. has closed Highway 97, but the situation is unclear at this time. 

The Roberts Road resident says it appears the RCMP officers are focusing their efforts around the new Lakeview Terrace housing development on Robinson Road, which is directly below his home on Roberts Road. 

"My understanding is it's been cleared for our safety in case they have to shoot," the resident said, adding that police have only told him that it's an ongoing situation.

A Lakeview Terrace resident posted to Facebook that officers with guns have her complex "staked out."

Another Castanet reader says she came upon the area when police were first arriving, and noticed several officers searching around the Nor-Val Rentals area on Robinson Road and Highway 97.

DriveBC has no estimate as to when the highway will reopen.

Photo: DriveBC

ORIGINAL: 9:30 p.m.

A police incident has closed Highway 97 in Lake Country Thursday night.

The highway is currently closed between Oceola and Robinson roads, near the south end of Wood Lake.

While its unclear what has prompted the closure, Castanet has received several reports that there are multiple police officers in the area with rifles, who appear to be looking for someone.

DriveBC has no estimate of when the highway will reopen.

Castanet will update this story when more information becomes available.

Do you have photos or information about the incident? Send photos and tips to [email protected].