Saanich police recovered a replica pistol after receiving a call of a of an intoxicated man in possession of a firearm.
On Monday, April 29, Saanich police responded to a call about the man at the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Burnside Road.
When officers arrived, they located the individual, and noted that he had what appeared to be the handle of a firearm sticking out of his waistband.
After a brief interaction, police say he was disarmed and taken into custody without incident, and after his arrest, officers inspected the weapon which was determined to be a replica.
The man was released with a future court date and the condition that he not possess any weapons.
According to a new release from Saanich PD, all calls involving firearms create an elevated risk to the public and require a priority response from police.
“Officers are trained to treat all firearms as real and may not learn it is a replica until hours after the call is concluded. Because firearms cannot be identified quickly from a distance by officers, replicas pose a significant safety risk to the public, those who carry them, and police,” noted the release.