UPDATE: Standoff suspect now charged with hostage taking

July 18, 2025

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A suspect involved in a police standoff earlier this month faces an additional charge.


Thunder Bay Police Service officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Cumberland Street North at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 4, after receiving a 9-1-1 call reporting a weapons incident.


A male suspect had entered the location and brandished an apparent firearm towards three people who were present, demanding that two of the individuals leave while a third remain inside the premises.


Police arrived and contained the scene as a standoff ensued.


Thunder Bay Police Service crisis negotiators established communication with the suspect and arranged for the safe release of the hostage, which occurred later that morning. The individual did not sustain any physical injuries.


The standoff continued into the evening. The suspect surrendered to the Ontario Provincial Police's Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU) and was taken into Thunder Bay Police Service custody nearly 14 hours after the incident began.


Morris HOGAN, 63, is now charged with Hostage Taking.


The accused was previously charged with the following:

• Use Firearm in Commission of Offence

• Careless Use of a Firearm

• Pointing a Firearm x3

• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose

• Forcible Confinement

• Armed Robbery

• Possession of a Schedule I substance x2

• Possession of a Schedule III substance


The accused appeared in court on Friday to answer to the new charge and has been remanded into custody with a future appearance date.

August 7, 2025
The Thunder Bay Police Service has received several reports in recent days from local residents who have been contacted by fraudsters attempting to defraud them with the grandparent scam. The grandparent scam involves phone calls to potential victims claiming that a family member was involved in an accident or had been arrested, with money urgently needed to address their situation. The fraudster may claim to be a lawyer, law enforcement officer, or have some role with the court system. The scammers may also use spoofing to have the call display appear to be coming from a legitimate phone number. In some cases, the scammers will use a voice that sounds like the loved one who is in apparent trouble. The scam may involve having someone attend the victim’s residence to pick up cash. The scammers typically demand amounts between $5,000 and $10,000. These calls frequently target elderly residents or other vulnerable individuals. The Thunder Bay Police Service’s Economic Crime Unit is urging family members and friends to speak to those who may be vulnerable to being targeted by this type of scam. Police advise community members contacted by a suspected scammer to remember that the best way to avoid being victimized is to hang up the phone, then attempt to reach the family member alleged to be in trouble to verify the story. Another way to protect against this scam is to have a code word that only relatives would know to help determine if a call is a scam. The fraudster will likely try to create an emotional response from the potential victim, urging that the money is required immediately. This is a common tactic to prevent victims from practicing due diligence and should be viewed as strong evidence that a scam is taking place. Prevention is the best protection against fraud. If you are concerned about potential scams and want to learn more, please visit our Fraud Prevention page or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre ( http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/ ) To make a fraud/cyber crime online report to the Thunder Bay Police Service, please visit: https://www.services.tryrubicon.com/thunder-bay-police-service/online-reports/report/fraud-cybercrime
August 6, 2025
The Primary Response Branch represents the members most often in contact with people in need of police support - front-line Patrol Platoons, Emergency Task Unit, Canine Unit, the IMPACT Unit and Traffic Unit, the call-back unit and front desk. 2024 police-reported crime This month, Statistics Canada released the police-reported crime data for 2024. The detailed Main Metrics include: Crime counts: Total number of incidents reported. Crime rates: Number of incidents per 100,000 population. Crime Severity Index (CSI), which measures how often crimes happen and how severe they are, from year to year. Thunder Bay's average is higher than both the province and the national averages for crime severity. TBPS continues to have clearance rates above the national average, which indicate how effectively our dedicated members are addressing violent crimes. Clearance rates refer to the percentage of reported crimes that are investigated and result in charges laid. The non-violent crime severity index includes such crimes as property and drug offences.