Nanaimo RCMP arrested an 18-year-old man on this field after believing he was armed with a real gun. The takedown happened Thursday, Sept. 26 just before noon. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Intense scene

‘He’s very lucky:’ police arrest man in Nanaimo thought to be armed with real gun

Sep 26, 2019 | 8:08 AM

NANAIMO — Police say a high-risk arrest involving a young man armed with BB guns could have turned out much worse.

RCMP swarmed the Hammond Bay/Rutherford Rd. area Thursday, Sept. 26 just before noon in response to what police say was a man pointing a gun toward a person at a nearby home and running away.

Cst. Gary O’Brien said officers tracked the suspect from Delta Circle (off Broadway Rd) to the playing field of the closed Rutherford Elementary property.

O’Brien said the suspect initially didn’t obey officers’ orders to drop his weapon.

“I don’t think the full gravity of the situation was kicking in at that point, and then finally he did comply with the demands,” O’Brien said. “The officers said he was about five seconds away from making a very wrong choice.”

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Several charges are pending against the 18-year-old man, who’s known to police.

O’Brien said the suspect had three air-soft guns in his possession.

“We see this far too often,” O’Brien said, who stressed the high safety risks of people having fake or real guns visible in public.

Police won’t reveal if there is a relationship between the accused and who he allegedly pointed a gun toward.

Neighbouring elementary schools and Dover Bay Secondary School were placed under a Hold & Secure measure while a heavy police response blanketed the area.

In mid-July a youth male accused of carrying a fake gun caused the evacuation of hundreds of people from Woodgrove Centre.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes