A 20 year-old male is in custody and police have seized a number of firearms after a tense, early-morning incident which led to police seizing three long-barrelled firearms and other weapons.
The incident began at 5:45 a.m. (this morning) Tuesday, June 25, 2013, when a police patrol car with two officers, spotted a young male running into an alley holding what appeared to be long-barrelled guns. The male was seen running southbound into the alley between Retallack and Robinson Streets, in the 900 block, just south of 3rd Avenue. The officers drove to the alley, got out of the car and approached the male, identifying themselves as police and challenging him to stop and drop the weapons. At that point, the male had what looked like an assault rifle slung over his shoulder and was carrying a sword in the sheath. The officers commanded the suspect to drop these weapons, but then the male lifted his shirt to reveal what looked like a handgun tucked into his waistband. After numerous repeated commands to get on the ground, the male eventually complied with the officers’ directions and was safely taken into custody. A search of the suspect (and the immediate area) yielded firearms, two knives, a sword and an assortment of personal property, including cheque books belonging to someone else. The firearms seized were two .22-calibre rifles and a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun. What appeared to be a .357 magnum handgun was a pellet gun. None of the firearms were loaded.
The 20 year-old male is in custody, with charges pending the outcome of the investigation. Police are continuing to investigate with respect to the other property seized as it is believed some, or all, of the items seized are stolen. There are no other details for release at this time.