Police arrest man with replica gun near North Vancouver library
Mounties in North Vancouver say they arrested a man who was “manipulating” a replica handgun near a public library over the weekend.
Just before 7 p.m. Saturday, the North Vancouver RCMP got a report of a man holding a plastic imitation firearm in Civic Plaza next to the North Vancouver City Library.
“Officers flooded the area and were in search of a suspect with the description that was provided by a witness,” reads a news release issued Monday.
Police found the man near a bus stop on Lonsdale Avenue, arrested him and seized the fake gun.
The suspect, 47-year-old Benjamin McBeath, was on probation with conditions not to possess any imitation firearms or weapons, according to police.
As such, he was charged on Sunday with failing to comply with a probation order.
Online court documents show McBeath has a criminal record spanning years for several offences across Metro Vancouver. He has been found guilty on charges including assault, mischief, breaking and entering, and multiple breaches of probation.
He remains in custody.
“Frontline officers treated this extremely seriously, following all the protocols in place for responding to incidents involving firearms,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak in the release.
“Police want to caution the public about the dangers of playing with imitation guns in a public place,” the release continues. “Replica guns are indistinguishable from the real thing. While they may seem harmless, they can cause panic and will elicit a police response.”
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