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Man with knife on TTC bus apprehended after 5 hours of negotiation

Emergency task force members successfully helped coax an armed man who Toronto police describe as "in crisis" off a bus in North York Saturday after five hours of negotiation.

Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told CBC News that police were called to Steeles Avenue West and Tangreen Court just after 12 p.m. Saturday about reports of a man wielding a knife on the 60 Steeles West TTC bus headed to Finch subway station.

The bus driver and passengers were able to get off the bus and contain the man on it until police arrived, she said.

A doctor, along with a negotiation team, reasoned with the man for several hours before managing to safely coax him off the bus and apprehending him under the Mental Health Act.

None of the initial calls indicated that anyone on the bus had been threatened, Douglas-Cook said

"We're really thankful that it ended in the way that it did," she added.

The man was taken to a medical facility for treatment and police don't anticipate any charges at this time.