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Chilliwack RCMP arrest man with pellet gun at Skwah First Nation

Police received reports of a man carrying a rifle in the area of Ashwell Road and Kipp Avenue
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A police incident in the Skwah First Nation Reserve in Chilliwack Sunday (May 8) was caused by a man with a rifle, but not a real rifle. Around 2:30 p.m. RCMP got reports of a guy carrying a rifle in the area of Ashwell Road and Kipp Avenue.

Roads to the reserve were blocked off at the end of Wellington Road and along Wolfe Road, and officers were seen walking through the reserve. The man was located and arrested. Police seized his long-barrelled bb/pellet gun, which resembled a rifle, and talked to him about the dangers of carrying anything that looks like a weapon in public.

“This incident serves as a reminder that any object that closely resembles a firearm is likely to cause safety concerns and generate reports to the police,” said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Krista Vrolyk. “Pellet guns and bb guns often have the appearance of genuine firearms, making it difficult for both the public and responding officers to distinguish them from real ones.

“When a passerby observes someone in possession of what appears to be a long barrelled gun walking in a residential or urban area, it creates a public safety concern. This creates safety risks to the person in possession of the imitation firearm, bystanders and responding police officers who will deal with any reported firearm as authentic until they can safely determine that it is not.”

RELATED: RCMP issue warning that ‘Imitation firearms need to be dealt with responsibly’

RELATED: Man with toy gun at Safeway detained by Chilliwack RCMP


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Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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