A handful of Grande Prairie businesses were asked to keep indoors for a short time Tuesday as the RCMP searched for a potentially armed man believed to have trespassed onto the CN Rail yard. The call came in around 10:45 a.m. and when an officer arrived at the yard it’s reported they saw the suspect pick up a gun and run into a wooded area between 68 Avenue and 76 Avenue.
Backup was called and mounties contained the area, including nearby businesses who were told to stay inside. Police Dog Services was reportedly able to track the man to a nearby encampment a short time later.
The suspect was taken into custody and police say they seized a loaded sawed-off shotgun from the makeshift campsite. A 27-year-old man from Grande Prairie has been charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, possession of a prohibited firearm, and unsafe storage of a firearm. He remains in custody awaiting a court hearing.
