YARMOUTH, N.S. — The RCMP say a man is facing charges following a firearms incident in Bellville, Yarmouth County.
The person, a 64-year-old man from Belleville, is facing charges of Careless Use of a Firearm, Unsafe Storage of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm Knowing Possession is Unauthorized. He will appear in Yarmouth Provincial Court at a later date.
In the media release the RCMP say that at 8:24 p.m. on Oct. 8, members of Yarmouth Rural and Town RCMP responded to a report that a man had fired a shot from a firearm outside a home.
RCMP members blocked the road in the area and contained the home.
“The suspect had re-entered the home by that time. Additional resources were being dispatched to the scene, including an RCMP Dog and Handler, a Crisis Negotiator and the Emergency Response Team,” reads the media release. “After several hours, the suspect agreed to surrender to police. He exited the home and was arrested without incident. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.”
Asked for further information about the incident, RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Clarke says, "This was a situation that required immediate response from police, for reasons we cannot disclose to the public. We caution people from speculating about the background of the call and ask them to understand that we responded based on the information we had and in using the resources available to us, were able to resolve the situation without anyone being injured."
She also notes that a firearm cannot be discharged within 400 metres of a home.
Asked about the charge of Possession of a Firearm Knowing Possession is Unauthorized, Cpl. Clarke says the charge indicates that the person knew they did not have the proper documentation to be in possession of a firearm. She says the firearm in the alleged incident was a rifle.
The charges had not yet been filed with the court at the time of the media release so the man’s name was not released.
