North Vancouver RCMP say one man has been arrested after brandishing a fake pistol on a bus at Phibbs Exchange.
Around 10 p.m. Thursday, police received a 911 call from a passenger alerting them to a man with a gun.
In a press release, North Vancouver RCMP Sgt. Peter DeVries compiled a transcript of the updates the responding officers relayed to dispatch as the incident played out.
In them, we see they advised the caller to tell the bus driver to evacuate all the passengers off the bus.
“[The suspect] was holding the gun in his hand pointing it at people,” the transcript states.
With officers about to arrive, they discussed what tactics they would use to arrest the man. Further in the transcript, officers refered to the suspect being out of the bus and prone in the middle of the bus loop. It was not until the end of the transcript that it is apparent the gun was fake.
“It’s a cap gun and the male thought it would be a funny joke,” the transcript reads.
DeVries said firearms, whether real or fake, are never a joke to officers responding to a call.
"Front-line officers treated this extremely seriously, following all the protocols in place for responding to incidents involving firearms," he said. "Thankfully, it turned out to be a replica, but at the time, passengers believed it was real."
DeVries said they will recommend the Crown lay charges of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace and breach of probation.
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