Alleged duck hunter loses weapon

On a day when at least two families of ducks were given a helping hand comes word a 20-year-old Lake Country man was allegedly shooting at ducks from the dock at Turtle Bay Pub.

Photo: Contributed - RCMP

A confiscated pellet gun (top) is compared with a real Smith and Wesson revolver.

Police in Lake Country say they received complaints early Thursday evening of a man with what appeared to be a black handgun shooting at ducks.

Officers found the man, sitting with friends on the dock. He claimed they had been using a pellet gun to shoot across the water to another dock -- not at the ducks.

Cst. Kris Clark says the pellet gun in question could have been mistaken for a real gun, 'even up close.'

"The pellet gun was seized by police and will be destroyed. No charges have been recommended," says Clark.

Clark stresses when police receive reports of firearms they have a duty to respond accordingly based on the information they receive.

"This presents a great challenge to the police as they must respond appropriately to ensure public safety and that of the responding officers, all the while mindful that the gun seen may not be real," adds Clark.

"There is always the real possibility that a police officer may perceive a deadly threat and respond with irreversible consequences."

Clark says people should take appropriate safety measures when using firearms, air soft guns, pellet guns, paintball guns or anything that may be perceived to be a firearm.

"Most importantly, they should only be used in designated areas such as gun club ranges or paintball ranges."