N.B. man charged with uttering threats after armed standoff in Notre-Dame

A 48-year-old man has been charged with uttering threats after a lengthy armed standoff with police in Notre-Dame, N.B., this week.

The RCMP responded to a report of a person in mental distress at a home on Poirier Office Road around 11:16 a.m. Monday.

When officers arrived, they found a 48-year-old man who was allegedly armed with two “edged weapons.” Police say the man refused to cooperate with the officers and then barricaded himself inside the home.

The RCMP set up a perimeter and called the Emergency Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team to the scene.

Police say the man surrendered around 8:45 p.m. – almost 10 hours later – and was taken into custody.

No one was injured.

Donald Williston of Notre-Dame appeared in Moncton provincial court on Tuesday and was charged with two counts of uttering threats. He was remanded into custody and is due back in court at a later date.

The RCMP says the incident did not meet the criteria for an Alert Ready.

Police first alerted the public to the incident in a post on X at 7:15 p.m. Monday, warning of a police operation in the Poirier Office Road area of Notre-Dame, and asking people to avoid the area.

The RCMP provided an update on X just before 9 p.m., stating the operation had safely concluded.

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