U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, seen wearing Canadian Olympic mittens while in Whistler, was not at risk when a man approached at the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, police say. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)

A man carrying a fake entry pass got within metres of U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden at last Friday's Olympic opening ceremony but posed no real threat, the RCMP said Wednesday.

Officials with the Olympic Integrated Security Unit (ISU) confirmed that a man they described as mentally unstable entered BC Place stadium along with more than 60,000 spectators. But just how he got in the building is unclear.

The man was spotted by police officers from the ISU working as part of Biden's security detail as he approached the V.I.P. seating area.

"When the individual was approximately 12 rows away, RCMP officers stopped and escorted the gentleman farther away into a hallway," said Sgt. Rich Graydon. "At that point, he fled and was apprehended by the ISU police."

Graydon said the man had passed through magnetometer screening during his initial entry and was searched again by police after being detained.

"It was confirmed again that he had no weapons or dangerous items on him," said Graydon.

"All I can say is he came in with false accreditation and that we're investigating it," he said.

Officials with the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) on Wednesday denied reports the man used forged credentials to enter the building, but did not say how they believe the man got into BC Place or if he had a ticket.

U.S. Secret Service not concerned

U.S. Secret Service officers who were part of Biden's detail were briefed at the scene, he said.

"We're being told by the RCMP that this individual was not in close proximity to Vice-President Biden," said Max Milien, of the Secret Service. "Nor do we know at this time if he had a direction of interest toward the vice-president."

"Vice-President Biden was not in danger at any time," Graydon insisted. "This is an isolated incident committed by an individual with no malicious intent who was identified and removed by security."

The man was later turned over to Vancouver police, but given the man's mental state, police are not recommending charges, Graydon said.

Neither the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, known as VANOC, nor the private security consortium responsible for the civilians checking tickets and passes were immediately available to explain how the man got around the safeguards used to check for legitimate Olympic credentials.

An official with VANOC said in an interview earlier today — prior to news breaking of the Friday night breach — that there had been no problems with the security screening process.

An official with Contemporary Security Canada, the private consortium, said the same in an interview earlier this week.

Tried to escape

Each Olympic venue has three layers of security, Graydon explained: an exterior fenced cordon; screening at the entrance by VANOC event staff, who are supposed to confirm the validity of credentials or spectator tickets; and monitoring of pedestrian areas by police and security guards.

ISU investigators are looking into how the man got through the screening system.

"We don't check accreditation or tickets [after the screening]," Graydon said. "At that point, they just go through the metal detector same as at the airport. They check your ticket then you go through security."

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, who heads ISU, said the 48-year-old man was arrested by two female plainclothes Mounties who told Mercer he just didn't seem to fit in.

"They approached him, determined that the accreditation he was carrying was forged or fake, confronted him and escorted him out one or two steps, at which point he attempted to run and was taken into custody," Mercer said.

Mercer said the man had an apparent fascination with Biden.

With files from The Canadian Press