ESTEVAN - Members of the Estevan Police Service made an arrest following what it called a "firearms-related incident" in the city.
At approximately 6:35 a.m. Wednesday, members received a call of a man walking with a firearm in the Pleasantdale area. A description was provided and police were able to locate the suspect at his residence.
Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan said officers weren't certain on what they were dealing with, but these types of incidents are taken very seriously.
Cowan said investigating members were able to determine the suspect had discharged a firearm, which Cowan described as a "high-speed pellet gun", in the city and shot two "small game animals". The pellet gun met the definition of a firearm, he said, and is powerful enough to kill small game and cause injury to a human.
The small game animals were a bird and a squirrel, Cowan said.
A 39-year-old Estevan resident was arrested and later released with two charges under the The Wildlife Act. One was for unlawfully hunting and the other was hunting within 500 metres of occupied buildings.
"The Wildlife Act charges carry fairly substantial fines, so combined with those two, you're looking at just over the $3,000 mark in fines," said Cowan.
An investigation is ongoing, and officers are looking into the bylaw regarding discharging a firearm within city limits. The firearm and game animals have been recovered.
Local conservation officers assisted with the investigation. Cowan said they are the experts in these situations.
The name of the person charged was not immediately released.
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