In a tense moment for Whistler police, a hitchhiker was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 28 after he was reported firing a replica toy gun near Function Junction.
At around 1:30 p.m., Whistler RCMP received two separate calls of a male who was seen "pulling out a handgun and firing it into the air and at road signs," police said in a release.
The suspect, who was described as around 35 years old, wearing a dark hoodie and camouflage pants, was last seen walking on the side of Highway 99, south of Alpha Lake Road. Officers responded immediately and searched the area before locating a male matching the description on the southwest side of the highway, just past Alpha Lake Road. The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and a video posted to social media Wednesday by an occupant of a vehicle passing by appeared to show an officer with his gun drawn as the hitchhiker laid prone on the side of the highway.
A subsequent search of the man uncovered an Airsoft toy gun tucked into his pants.
"It’s important to note that this Airsoft gun had all the characteristics of a firearm and could only be differentiated by police as [an] Airsoft gun after members were in possession of it," said Cpl. Nathan Miller in the release. "This is obviously a very high-risk situation for our members to respond to and we are thankful no one was hurt."
The suspect, from Squamish, was previously known to the RCMP. Police have recommended charges of possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes, possession of a controlled substance, and three counts of failing to comply with a probation order.
Remarkably, it wasn't the only weapons-related incident for Sea to Sky RCMP on Tuesday. As first reported by The Chief, in Squamish, a man was arrested on gun charges after he was seen chasing a young boy—who was said to be related to the gunman, although police didn't indicate how—with a rifle in the area of Diamond Head Road, which was closed off for much of the afternoon. Law enforcement had the situation contained by the evening, with the man surrounded in a home, as residents of the area were told to stay indoors.
