28-year-old faces 7 charges after Fredericton standoff

Kyle Anthony Kennedy, 28, appeared in provincial court in Fredericton on Friday afternoon on seven charges related to a standoff that tied up a city neighborhood for much of Thursday.

Appearing in court by phone, Kennedy was charged with pointing a firearm, uttering threats and assault with a weapon.

He is also charged with two counts of forcible confinement.

Fredericton police blocked off an area of the College Hill neighbourhood, on the city's south side, from about 8 a.m. Thursday after a neighbour called police about a man with a firearm on Gregg Court.

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Police said the man barricaded himself in a two-unit residence, and they negotiated with him most of the day until at 3:40 p.m., when he surrendered and was taken into custody.

As Judge Kenneth Oliver read out the charges Friday, Kennedy had several outbursts and claimed he couldn't hear because of the phone line.

Kennedy declined legal aid, citing a conflict of interest.

While Oliver continued to read out the charges, Kennedy insisted on being in the courtroom in person and not over the phone.

The judge paused and asked to have him brought into the courtroom in person from the holding cell. Oliver said he wanted to give Kennedy the benefit of doubt that there was a bad phone line.

Twenty minutes later, Kennedy arrived in cuffs and was escorted into court by sheriff's officers.

After Oliver resumed reading the charges, Kennedy had several outbursts, including one of disbelief when he found out he was charged with confinement. He shouted out over the judge and suggested he didn't know the people he allegedly confined had been in the building.

Kennedy also shouted out that the firearms he'd had were inoperable.

Kennedy did not have to enter a plea Friday. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. for a bail hearing.