WEYBURN — A man wanted on outstanding warrants from Nova Scotia was arrested in Weyburn after a five-hour police standoff that prompted a shelter-in-place order and a dangerous person alert for part of the city.
According to a news release, in the early afternoon of March 11, the Weyburn Police Service (WPS) received information that Brandon Hendershot was in a residence in the 800-block of Fifth Street North.
The WPS said it had been investigating to determine the whereabouts of Hendershot over the past six months. Police attended the residence and, upon arrival, received concerning information regarding Hendershot that led to significant concerns for public safety.
As a result of those details, the WPS said the area was immediately secured and a critical incident response was initiated, including a joint operation with the Estevan Police Service involving patrol members, the Joint Tactical Support Team (JTST), critical incident command and police negotiators.
Weyburn police Chief Brent VandeSype said more than 15 officers were involved in the response.
After approximately five hours of communication with Hendershot, the WPS said he exited the residence and surrendered peacefully to police.
According to the WPS, Hendershot had outstanding arrest warrants from Nova Scotia that had been extended to Saskatchewan. He is currently charged with five counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, two counts of invitation to sexual touching and one count of failing to appear in court. All charges are under the Criminal Code.
VandeSype said he is not facing any charges stemming from the March 11 incident, or any charges from Weyburn at that time, but an investigation is ongoing.
Hendershot is currently being held in custody to be remanded and will be transported to appear in Nova Scotia Provincial Court.
"It takes a bit of work to arrange everything to get him back to Nova Scotia," said VandeSype.
The police chief said it is not known for certain if Hendershot was in Weyburn the entire last six months, but there is information he had been in the city for a while, and police had been trying to determine his exact location.
The Weyburn Police Service thanked residents for their patience and co-operation during the incident, as well as members of the Weyburn and Estevan Police Services for their quick and professional response.
