This is an exerpt from the Toronto Star reagrding some history on the man involved. Nice guy....

CFTO-TV reported that Marlene Brookes and their two children -- a 19-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy -- left the man March 13 after 18 years of marriage.

The day they left, Brookes was charged with throwing Marlene down a flight of stairs, holding a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her.

In the past, he also gave his daughter a black eye and stormed around town with a fireplace poker looking for his son, the CTV Toronto affiliate reported.

Brookes was convicted in May on the assault charges and served 30 days in jail and 46 days in pretrial custody. He was released under a number of conditions, including one that said he wasn't allowed to possess weapons. He was also put under a restraining order that he not come within 100 metres of any member of his family.

Marlene Brookes filed for divorce July 29.

Who defended the bad guy?

Oh yeah...
Technically he was pointing a gun at the hostage to save himself from being apprehended. I just want to point out to some people that it's not this f***ing black and white.. god.

Sorry rainheart, I see where you are coming from, but I think at the time of the incident it was just that black and white. After the fact, it is very easy to rationalize and try to think about other ways of handling the situation, each of them very valid. But put yourself in the shoes of the hostage, the police officers, or the innocent bystanders he was shooting into just a few minutes ago - and it was black and white. He needed to be stopped, and stopped before he killed someone. He had already proven that he intended to do so. Why he was shooting and waving a gun means nothing in this case, the fact that he was doing so is what needs to be reacted to at that time.

As for the thought "the act of taking a hostage shouldn't merit you death.". I agree it doesn't merit you death, but if that's the safest and quickest result in stopping someone from injuring or killing me, my family, or any human on this planet, then so be it. Everyone in that situation - the criminal, the wife, the hostage, the police, and the bystanders - all have "rights" that need to be addressed. However, of everyone in this scenario, the criminal's needs and safety should be put at the bottom of the list.

This guy got what he deserves. Great job coppers!