Date: July 21, 2021
File: 21-16122
On July 16, 2021, at 5:15 p.m. a Bike Section officer was on Carey Road when he observed a cyclist commit two Motor Vehicle Act offences. The officer stopped the cyclist, who was shortly thereafter arrested on the strength of outstanding warrants.
During the search, the officer located a Glock handgun that was later proven to be an airsoft gun. The cyclist also had other weapons on his person, including a folding knife and a slingshot, despite being bound by court conditions not to be in possession of any weapons. He was taken into custody and is now facing new charges for breaching conditions of his probation order.
“We continue to come across replica firearms, particularly those that imitate ones carried by police officers. These pose a significant safety risk to the general public, those that carry them, and any police officer responding to a call about a person carrying one, as police are trained to treat all firearms as real until proven otherwise. While owning an airsoft or replica firearm is not illegal, discharging them is prohibited in the Municipality of Saanich.”
Cst. Markus Anastasiades
Public Information and Communications Officer