Paintball gun prompts big police presence in Vernon

VERNON – A long-range paintball gun landed two Vernon men in hot water with the RCMP in Vernon yesterday.

A large police presence could be seen in the area of 32nd Street and 25th Avenue, Vernon, just after 12 p.m., Sept. 3, following a call about a man in possession of what appeared to be a long gun or rifle while travelling in a vehicle northbound 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.

The two individuals were fully co-operative with Mounties and were detained without incident. Police located and confirmed the weapon seen to be a long-range paintball gun.

"RCMP take all firearm complaints seriously, given the potential threat to public and police safety. Our officers treat every weapon or firearm as real until proven they are not," Vernon RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett said.

It is incredibly important for people to realize that airsoft or paintball weapons can look and feel very real, and pose a great risk to those who have them in their possession when not in a controlled environment.

The two men were issued a verbal warning by police and released from custody, however, the vehicle was impounded under the Motor Vehicle Act for a mechanical inspection.

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