Police put an abrupt end to some ill-advised target practice at a busy public park in Burnaby Friday afternoon.
At about 3:45 p.m., Burnaby RCMP got a call from a local resident saying they had seen a man with what looked like a gun in the bushes near Swangard Stadim in Central Park, according to police.
Officers with the detachment’s bike unit were already patrolling in the area and responded right away, police said
Upon arrival, they located a 40-year-old man with a pistol.
He was “immediately cooperative,” police said.
“The man stated that the firearm was a pellet gun and that he had been firing it at coffee cups,” stated a press release.
He was released without charges "after being advised of future conduct," police said.
The speed with which the call was handled is a tribute to the effectiveness of the bike squad, according to media liaison officer Cpl. Mike Kalanj.
“This call came in as a high priority firearms call,” he said. “Thanks to their training and ability to be at the scene quickly, our bike officers dealt with the incident in a matter of minutes.”