When Saanich police were arresting a man for unlawfully entering a residential complex, they found him to be in possession of almost 500 rounds of ammo.
Tuesday night around midnight, police were called to the 4000-block of Shelbourne Street for a man who had unlawfully entered a residential complex.
When officers arrived, he had already left, but they were able to find him in the 4000-block of Cedar Hill Road with the assistance of a police dog.
Once arrested, Saanich police officers found the man to be in possession of a bag of ammo, approximately 500 rounds of 9 mm and .22 calibre bullets.
A search of the area by the ICS Officer with his police service dog found a discarded firearm nearby. Police say the pistol was loaded and that the bullets were a match to that found on the man.
Police determined the weapon was stolen from a Port McNeill residence back in 2021 during a break-in.
Raymond Beaton, 57, was held in police custody and the following morning charged with four firearm-related offences:
- possession of a restricted firearm while under a weapons prohibition,
- possession of a weapon obtained by the commission of an offence,
- possession of a restricted weapon with ammunition, and
- possession of a restricted weapon.
“The ICS officer and his partner, Police Service Dog Hitch, demonstrated their ability to secure important evidence from this scene in a very quick manner,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades in a news release. “Without their assistance, this loaded firearm could have ended up in the wrong hands, with the potential for serious consequences.”
The image shared by police shows the ammunition obtained during the arrest, which has signs of corrosion on the bullets themselves.
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Roger Collins
