Port Moody police seize guns after man's 'concerning comments' to store staff

Police executed a search warrant at the residence and found weapons and ammunition. (Port Moody Police Department)

Police in Port Moody say a Coquitlam man has been charged after an "unsettling incident" that took place over the weekend.

Officers were called to a store in Suter Brook Village early Saturday afternoon because a man had made "concerning comments" to a staff member, the Port Moody Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.

The man allegedly told the staff member "he would be carrying out acts of violence the following day," PMPD said.

Police said the man was no longer at the store when officers arrived, but they were soon able to identify him as 57-year-old James Quirin.

Quirin was arrested at his home in Coquitlam "a short time later," according to police, who then executed a search warrant at the residence and found weapons and ammunition.

Online court records associated with the PMPD file number indicate Quirin has been charged with possessing a firearm without a licence and/or registration and careless use or storage of a firearm.

He was scheduled to appear in Port Coquitlam provincial court Tuesday morning for a bail hearing. His next scheduled court appearance is on March 7.

"Fortunately, the staff member reported this suspicious behavior to us, which resulted in a safe resolution to this matter," said Const. Sam Zacharias in the PMPD release.

“Anyone who may have information that will assist our investigation is asked to contact us.”