RCMP respond to report of man pointing firearm at Highway 97, north of 100 Mile House

On Monday, May 23, RCMP in the Cariboo region received a report of a man allegedly pointing a firearm at passing vehicles on Highway 97.

Mounties from 100 Mile House and Williams Lake responded to an area about one kilometre south of the Lac La Hache Provincial Park, just north of 100 Mile House.

According to police, multiple witnesses reported that a man was standing on the east side of the highway and allegedly holding a shotgun. More reports came in of a man in a red hoodie holding a gun.

Mounties responded to the area and closed the highway just north of Lac La Hache at Maze Lake Road.

Additional officers, including the North District RCMP Emergency Response Team, attended and a high risk patrol was completed along the highway.

The initial investigation confirmed that dash cam surveillance captured what appeared to be a Caucasian man holding a rifle or shotgun along the edge of the highway.

The investigation led officers to a nearby residence after a witness said they had watched a man allegedly target shooting the day before.

Police quickly converged on the residence and located two men matching the descriptions provided by witnesses and the dash cam footage.

The man from the dash cam footage was initially arrested. The property owner and tenants confirmed a pellet gun was used the day before in an attempt to get rid of a rodent infestation.

The man was released from custody and the highway was reopened safely. More discussion between the property owner, tenants, RCMP and conservation officers was offered and accepted.

“(We) would like to remind the public that awareness of your surroundings is a major consideration when taking any conservation action where some type of weapon, firearm or even a pellet rifle, especially when adjacent to a major thoroughfare,” said Sgt. Nielsen of the 100 Mile RCMP.

Thumbnail photo credit: BC RCMP