Two Arnprior men barricaded in their home taken into custody

Two men who barricaded themselves for more than four hours inside their rented unit on Claude Street in Arnprior on Friday, July 15 morning were finally removed after several officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) rammed the front door.

The OPP tactics and rescue unit (TRU), armed with semi-automatic rifles and wearing camouflage gear, broke down the front door and escorted the two men to two OPP units and transported them to the Arnprior OPP station for processing.

Brian Fulljames, 33, and Forest Jensen, 25, both of Arnprior, remain in police custody awaiting their first court appearance to determine if they are eligible for release with bail conditions or whether they are released with a promise to appear at a later date. 

Sometime around 7:30 a.m. the owner of 86 Claude Street attempted to serve the two men with an eviction order citing their refusal to pay rent over a two-year period. Some form of physical altercation took place with the owner exiting the building showing signs of being injured. The owner would later confirm one of the men used a slingshot to propel an object which struck him in the torso.

He called 9-1-1 and waited for members of the Arnprior OPP to arrive and assist in their removal. Neighbours around the building stated they heard the men threaten to blow up the building if any attempt was made by police to enter inside. 

Around 7:45 a.m. additional OPP officers from both the Arnprior and Renfrew  arrived and immediately requested the assistance of the TRU under the command of the OPP East Region headquarters.

At 8 a.m., Renfrew OPP issued a tweet advising Arnprior residents to avoid the area of Claude Street. The street was blocked off on both ends in order to contain the occupants of the multi-unit apartment building where the two men had resided. According to the owner of the building, they paid no rent for two years.
In the tweet, police said there is no danger to the public.

During the next 90 minutes, the quiet street that borders the Madawaska River was filled with more than 15 OPP vehicles, two ambulances from the County of Renfrew Paramedic Services and a K9 Unit were on scene and took up strategic positions on both sides of the street. 

However, it was the arrival of STU members dressed in military fatigues brandishing semi-automatic weapons, that several neighbours inside their homes realized the seriousness of the situation. 

With the building completely surrounded, three members of the tactical unit, who were dispatched from Perth, began a dialogue with the men as a means to have them exit the site peacefully. 

One unidentified officer repeatedly explained the situation to them.

“Can you guys talk to me and tell us what it will take to have you come out peacefully,” he asked. “The fact is we are here and we are not going to leave until you are out of the building and we would much rather have you come out by yourselves than us coming in there to forcefully take you out. If you decide to come out exit the building one at a time with your hands in front and clearly visible and palms open.”

There was very little feedback from the two men. Shortly before Noon, TRU officers used a metal battering ram and crashed in the main door and officers entered the building and in less than two minutes, officers exited the building and brought them out one at a time and placed them in the back of the cruisers.

By 12:30 the majority of police were no longer on scene and residents in the area began to mingle on the street.

 Talking to some of the neighbours it appeared the general consensus was the two men had long overstayed their welcome with past behaviours that caused some concern among them. One woman who asked that her name not be used, said the two men showed little regard for maintaining upkeep of the site. 

“They lived rent free for almost two years and the owner recently bought the building and he was really working hard to upgrade it by installing new windows, new doors and was working on making it look good again after some neglect,” she said. “The owner could not evict them because of the COVID rule that nobody could be evicted during the pandemic. Well that was a long time ago and the new owner served them a proper eviction notice and this is what happened.”

The front of the building was covered with small pink signs listing their grievances with the owner including claims of an unjustified and illegal eviction process. They also had a large Canadian flag with painted black line across the maple leaf.

Forest Jensen appeared in bail court today and his case has been held over until Wednesday July 20. Brian Fulljames case was adjourned and he is also to appear on Wednesday when a list of charges will be entered into the record. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending, and are unknown at this time