Oliver police arrested a man outside a bank who had a handgun sticking out of his waistband on March 2.
Around 1:20 p.m., Oliver RCMP responded to a 911 call of a man who could be seen to have a gun in his waistband. Police found the suspect with another man outside of a bank on Main Street. Both were immediately taken into custody for possessing a firearm, said Oliver police chief Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth.
A sawed-off shotgun, with no ammunition, was located in an adjacent vehicle associated with these two men, he said. The pair were taken to the Oliver RCMP detachment for further investigation.
A search of the vehicle found no further weapons or ammunition and ‘nothing to indicate any criminal intent,’ said Wrigglesworth.
“I have been in contact with the financial institution and a local business operator and verified that at no time were there any threats or violence associated to this incident,” said Wrigglesworth.
“This high-risk incident was responded to and controlled with public and police safety at the forefront of our minds and thankfully the incident was resolved peacefully,” he added. Any time a gun is involved, and in this case, seen in public, police will presume that the intent is not good, he said.
A 33-year-old Oliver man was released later in the day on firearms-related charges with an April court date. The second man was released without charges. The matter remains under investigation.
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