Suspected car thief lured out of tree by taco

Regina police officers spent all afternoon negotiating with a man to come down from a tree he climbed to escape arrest, before he was ultimately lured down with a taco provided by a neighbour.

Police said the man climbed the tree on the 700 block of Garnet Street around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, after officers followed the man, who was suspected of stealing a vehicle. Police said he was first spotted in a vehicle, then on a bicycle.

The man, armed with a screwdriver and carrying a backpack, threatened police multiple times. He was heard shouting “Shoot me” and “I’ll stab you.” Regina police said it is unclear if the man had any other weapons.

Man says "He doesn't want to to hurt nobody" but the officer is still trying to get him to drop the screw driver. #yqr pic.twitter.com/wvF765HxkV

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) September 27, 2017

A crisis negotiator arrived on the scene around 12:30 p.m.

Negotiator says "We just want to get you down safely" the man replies "I know where I'm going, and I'm not coming down" #yqr pic.twitter.com/gMknDKFAqa

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) September 27, 2017

A woman told 980 CJME she heard the man screaming that his eyes were burning and then he was seen rubbing them uncontrollably. Another man who lives down the street claimed he witnessed police trying to chase the man earlier.

As of 3 p.m., there were around 15 uniformed and plainclothes police officers on scene. Firefighters and EMS were also there to assist police.

The man appeared to be tired after being in the tree for more than three hours. He could be seen yawning, stretching and smoking cigarettes.

The man seems relaxed… At one point even yawned. He’s now on his 4th smoke since I first arrived here around 12:15p.m. #yqr pic.twitter.com/5EhrZ2Tq3r

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) September 27, 2017

More than an hour had passed and the police started to close in on the man. Another person started to spray the man with water, it was unclear if he was with the police or the fire department.

The man shouted swear words at them and eventually dropped his backpack.

The negotiator remained in contact with the man as they made a different plan.

BREAKING: Police are now closing in on the man in the tree #yqr pic.twitter.com/2BBDAYbuug

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) September 27, 2017

While police were talking amongst themselves, concerned parents were talking to each other nearby in the alley about how they hoped the police could wrap it up soon because kids were about to come home from school.

Around 20 minutes later, a lady could be heard yelling at the man in the tree from the alley. She said she brought him an Indian taco. Prior to this, the man said he was hungry.

“He says to the cop, ‘I’m hungry,'” a woman told 980 CJME. “So I said I would get him something to eat … I went and grabbed an Indian taco from The Bannock House and I brought it the officer and he went and gave it to him.”

The negotiator took over the conversation and at that point the man came off the tree and onto the garage. Police told him to keep his hands up while he walked towards them and was later arrested.