The owner of Bugsy's Bar and Grill said there was never a gun in the business.  (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Weapons complaint

Police respond to weapons complaint at local bar

Jun 19, 2020 | 10:54 AM

A 26-year-old man is facing several charges, in connection to a weapons complaint early Friday morning at Bugsy’s Bar and Grill.

Shortly after midnight, police responded to a report of a man with a gun at the west hill business. The suspect was arrested without incident, while attempting to leave the area in a vehicle.

The accused, who has been scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday at provincial court, was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, careless use of a firearm and impaired operation of a motor vehicle. The name of the accused cannot be published until after he makes his first court appearance.

Meanwhile the owner of Bugsy’s Bar and Grill spoke to paNOW about the incident, and said at no point was there ever a gun in the bar.

Mark Walter said the suspect was in the bar for several hours, and after causing a disturbance was asked to leave. The man returned a short time later to apologize for his actions, but on the way out again, was involved in a verbal altercation at the door with some other customers.

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“He just simply said to someone ‘Do you wanna see my gun?'” Walter said. “Did he mean it in a bad way, I don’t think so. Did he mean it as a threat, you know maybe, I don’t know.”

Walter explained the man went out to his vehicle and it was learned there was a rifle in the vehicle. The man, who also appeared intoxicated, was immediately reported to police.

“I’m not downplaying it. It wasn’t harmless but it was, you know what I mean, and it was dealt with accordingly. But there was definitely no gun in Bugsy’s,” Walter said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell