Vancouver police have formally laid charges in response to a frantic episode Tuesday night that saw a toddler seized and held at knifepoint at an East Side community centre for nearly eight hours.
Kyle Hepworth Jackson, 24, will face four counts ranging from hostage-taking to possession of a dangerous weapon in relation to his alleged role in the kidnapping and eventual slashing of a three-year-old Vancouver boy.
At approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday, a man entered the Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre screaming and brandishing a large knife, before grabbing the toddler and locking himself in a basement bathroom.
After a lengthy standoff, police eventually stormed the room to rescue the boy, but only after he incurred a five-inch laceration on his cheek.
