Police say multiple charges have been laid against a man allegedly found possessing a modified semi-automatic rifle in Whalley.
Surrey RCMP Corporal Joanie Sidhu said a Mountie on patrol came across a stopped taxi with its hazard lights on at 105A Avenue and King George Boulevard. This was shortly after 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 7.
She said the taxi driver was “struggling to deal with an intoxicated man in the rear seat of the taxi. The officer assisted and ultimately arrested the man for causing a disturbance and public intoxication.
“As the investigation progressed, the officer located and seized a modified SKS rifle (semi-automatic carbine) in the man’s belongings.”
Reginald Bitternose, 43, has been charged with four offences related to the illegal possession of a firearm.
Superintendent Manly Burleigh noted that what began as an offer to assist a cab driver with his hazards on turned into the seizure of a high-powered firearm. “Our frontline officers are trained in quickly adapting their response based on changing circumstances. I am glad they were able to resolve this situation without anyone getting hurt,” Burleigh said.
Sidhu said the high-powered gun is “unique” and “not something that you see all the time.
“It’s not something that we seize often, it’s not the typical gun we seize.”
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