Training and prompt action averted what could have been a tragic outcome yesterday (January 16, 2023) at a Regina high school, when a 16 year-old student came to the school with an imitation firearm. The weapon reported to police looked very real and the consequences to the student – including a criminal charge – are very real, but the situation was resolved quickly and peacefully, thanks to the teamwork and professionalism of the police officer and school administrator involved.
This event, at a school on N. Argyle Street, began at approximately 9:30 a.m., on Monday, January 16, 2023, when the School Resource Officer (SRO) was approached by a school administrator. There was information that one of the students may be in the school with a gun. The SRO and administrator went in search of the student and brought the individual into an office. A calm, deliberate, investigative approach led to the eventual discovery of a firearm on the student’s person. The firearm looked so realistic that it was not until the officer checked to see if it was loaded that he realized it was a CO2 pistol. The weapon was seized and the student was charged.
The youth cannot be named in accordance with the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The youth is charged with Possession of a Weapon for a purpose dangerous to public peace, contrary to section 88 of the Criminal Code. The accused was released on an undertaking to be in Youth Court on March 7, 2023.
We cannot emphasize this enough: don’t carry an imitation firearm. These items are made to look exactly like real firearms and they will elicit a real reaction from others. If a police officer is faced with someone pointing a firearm, the officer can only respond in one way: stop the threat. There is no opportunity to debate whether or not the gun is real. The resulting action (or hesitation) could end a life. Just because you can buy realistic-looking CO2 pistols (or any other imitation firearms) doesn’t make it legal to carry them around. And, as always, the Regina Police Services urges anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it to police. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.
You must be logged in to post a comment.