Man arrested for theft of firearms from a vehicle 

Djeneba Dosso

Gatineau Police went out on a wild goose chase as early as 4 am on September 6 to locate a man who had shown up at a depanneur on Lorrain Boulevard with what appeared to be a firearm. Later, authorities would discover that the same man was responsible for the theft of two firearms from a vehicle. Both weapons were stolen the night before.

A little earlier, authorities were called to the convenience store in Gatineau’s Rivière-Blanche sector concerning a man who was standing outside, in possession of what seemed to be “a long weapon.” While the mysterious man did not make any threatening gestures or disturbing remarks, he would present himself as a soldier to justify his possession of the weapon. When the police arrived at the scene, the man had vanished.

The information collected at the scene quickly indicated that this man was a regular and that “he possibly lived in a camp located in a nearby woodland.” Police easily located the camp, but the man was nowhere to be found. However, they did receive crucial and incriminating information at the scene.

“When the police located the camp, the individual was not there,” the police-issued press release read. “The police were able to seize two firearms (hunting weapons) as well as ammunition. The checks allowed the police to find the owner of the weapons, who informed them that they had been stolen during that night from his vehicle.”

The police, who spent a good part of the early hours of Friday morning looking for the suspect, were able to locate and arrest him shortly before 6:45 am on Boulevard Lorrain near the intersection of Rue des Fleurs.

The man, who is 34 years old and from Gatineau, was transported to the police station to be met by investigators. He will remain in custody until he appears before the Quebec Court.

Gatineau Police reminds residents that, while it is not prohibited by law to store firearms in a vehicle if all regulations are respected, “zero risk does not exist.” They recommend that firearm owners refrain from leaving them in a vehicle longer than necessary and that they avoid leaving them unattended.