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Two men face charges in wake of Vancouver armed standoff

Charges laid in standoff

Charges have been approved against two Vancouver men following an armed standoff in a Downtown Eastside building in early January.

Vancouver Police Department officers responded to an apartment building near Princess Avenue and Powell Street about 7 p.m. on Jan. 2, after a witness saw a man with a rifle.

During a prolonged standoff, 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 has started its own investigation.



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