An Abbotsford resident turned in a military-grade missile during last month’s B.C.’s gun amnesty month.
Abbotsford police received a call to pick up the military armament near the tail end of the province’s month-long initiative to improve community safety by accepting and disposing of firearms without the fear of criminal charges.
Despite initial skepticism, police found the red and black five-foot-long missile at the home of a man in his fifties.
Though officers didn't believe the weapon was active, police called in trained personnel from Canadian Forces as a precaution to retrieve the weapon.
Police say the man who turned in the weapon inherited it from a family member who was in the military. He was deployed overseas and brought it back to Canada, though it is unknown where the missile originally came from.
“It’s a strange souvenir,” Const. MacDonald said.
The man had the missile in his possession for about a decade. He decided the amnesty would be a good opportunity to get rid of it.
Though this grade of weapon is rare for police to collect, this wasn’t the first time for the Abbotsford police: Two years ago, they collected a functional rocket launcher.
It was also inherited from a family member in the military.
Although Abbotsford has had 28 reports of shots fired this year, and a recent homicide, Const. MacDonald believes the amnesty will improve public safety.
“Certainly in Abbotsford, we’ve got 40-plus individuals who turned over firearms. That increases public safety in and of itself,” he said.
Plus, there’s one less missile on the street.
Aside from the missile, Abbotsford Police have amassed seven pistols, six shotguns, 27 rifles, ammunition, knives and various martial arts weapons during the program.
