Report of man with gun draws large police response

A report of a man with a rifle in a vehicle sparked a major police response on the highway in Vernon Tuesday.

“RCMP received a call from a concerned member of the public, who reported seeing a man in possession of what appeared to be a long gun or rifle, while travelling in a vehicle north bound on Highway 97, near Lake Country. The complaint elicited a full precautionary police response, resulting in multiple frontline officers responding and locating the vehicle near Polson Park in Vernon,” said Const. Kelly Brett.

The two occupants were cooperative with police during a stop at Highway 97 and 25th Ave. around 12 p.m., and after checking the vehicle, officers determined the weapon seen was a long range paint ball gun.

“RCMP take all firearm complaints seriously, given the potential threat to public and police safety,” said Brett. “Our officers treat every weapon or firearm as real until proven they are not. It is incredibly important for people to realize that airsoft or paint ball weapons can look and feel very real, and pose great risk to those who have them in their possession when not in a controlled environment.”