Date: Monday, June 20, 2022

File: 22-22729

Victoria, BC – Patrol officers arrested a man and seized a pellet gun after he pointed a handgun at a father on his way to meet his daughter for breakfast Saturday morning.

Patrol officers were initially called to the intersection of Douglas and Finlayson streets for a report that a driver had pointed a handgun at another driver. At approximately 9:45 a.m., a man reported that he was driving on his way to meet his daughter for breakfast Saturday morning near that intersection when another vehicle began driving dangerously in front of him, “brake-checking” him and preventing other traffic from passing. As the man passed the vehicle, the driver began yelling and pointed a handgun at him. The man immediately left the area, got to a safe location and called 911. While leaving the area the man took photos of the suspect vehicle with his mobile phone, which he then shared with officers.

Armed with these photos, officers began to search for the suspect vehicle and driver.

A short time later, officers received a call that a vehicle was parked in front of a business in the 3000-block of Shelbourne Avenue and that the driver was displaying signs of being impaired. The description of this driver and vehicle matched the description of the driver in the previous incident. Officers attended and arrested the man at gunpoint.

Officers searched the car and recovered a fully-functional pellet gun which resembled a high-calibre handgun, as well as drugs and drug paraphernalia. Officers conducted a standard field sobriety test, which the driver failed. He was transported to VicPD cells for additional drug-impaired driving investigation. Officers also noted several deficiencies in the vehicle which made it unsafe to be on the road.

The driver of the vehicle was released with conditions and a future court date for recommended charges for pointing a firearm and impaired driving. He was also issued a 24-hour driving prohibition, tickets for traffic offences and offences under the Cannabis Act, as well as Notice and Orders to repair the vehicle deficiencies. The vehicle was towed to impound. No one was physically injured in these incidents.

This file remains under investigation. If you have information about this incident and have yet to speak to investigators, please call the VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7654 extension 1.

 

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