Reports of a man with a handgun tucked into his pants brought police to a Burnaby mall parkade last Thursday.
Just before 7 a.m., a member of the public contacted Burnaby RCMP and reported seeing a man with a gun in a Metropolis at Metrotown parkade, according to a police news release.
Multiple units responded, and a witness directed police to where the suspect had last been seen.
Officers located him in a nearby stairwell and told him he was under arrest.
The man was uncooperative at first and appeared to be under the influence of drugs, according to police.
He reached towards his weapon twice, police said, but officers were able to de-escalate the situation and take the man into custody.
The handgun turned out to be a pellet gun that looked a lot like a real firearm, according to police.
“In these instances, we treat a firearm as real until it is proven not to be,” spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj said in the release.
A search of the suspect revealed nine cell phones, three tablet computers, identification in someone else’s name and 10 baggies of various drugs, believed to include fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
The man now faces charges of weapons possession, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and possession of a controlled substance.
