A man who allegedly threatened a pedestrian with a flare gun wrapped in electrical tape was taken into custody and then to the hospital for assessment last Friday.
Five police officers were involved in the “high-risk takedown” in the parking lot between the District of Sechelt Municipal Hall and the aquatic centre, after the pedestrian involved in the incident called the RCMP at 5 p.m., according to Sunshine Coast RCMP Staff Sgt. Poppy Hallam.
“The caller stated a male associated to a van parked in the parking lot yelled out derogatory comments to him and then flashed what the caller believed was a black handgun and threatened to shoot him,” Hallam told Coast Reporter.
Once on scene the police officers took the man into custody after he exited the van without incident.
“A subsequent search revealed the male had a flare gun wrapped in black electrical tape and could easily be mistaken for a real firearm,” said Hallam. No one was hurt during the incident.
“There were witnesses to the police response, which for some might have seemed unnerving,” said Hallam of the incident. “However, the response was appropriate given the nature of the call and public safety was maintained during the incident.”
