Three Williams Lake men were arrested and charged for possession of weapons during the Stampede weekend.
“On Friday June 30, members of the Cariboo Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit in Williams Lake were making patrols on the Stampede grounds,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson North District RCMP media relations. ” The members observed two men, well known to the police, standing in the crowd. When these men saw the police officers, they began to walk away. The police felt that the man was concealing a weapon. Further investigation revealed that the one man was in possession of a weapon.”
As a reult, Lawrence Norman Elkins, 32, was arrested and charged with one count of possessing a weapon and one count of possessing a weapon without a license.
Elkins remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Williams Lake Provincial Court on Wednesday, July 12.
Then on Sunday July 2, at 11:30 a.m. Williams Lake police were patrolling the city when they came upon a group of people walking towards the Stampede grounds where people had gathered for a rodeo performance, Saunderson said.
“One of the men is a well-known prolific offender in the city and the police stopped to talk to the group. When the police approached him, he became angry and belligerent. He took an aggressive stance and his body language led police to believe he may have had a weapon.”
As a result Brent Myles Adolph, 30, was charged with one count of possession, one count of possession of a prohibited weapon and one count of obstruction of a police officer.
Saunderson said the investigation also led to the discovery of another man in the group to be in possession of other weapons.
Blake Bob Johnny, 24, was charged with one count of possession of a weapon and one count of possession of a prohibited weapon.
Adolph and Johnny were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, July 5.
“The Williams Lake RCMP uniform members, Crime Reduction Unit, General Investigation Section and Traffic Section worked strategically and systematically throughout one the busiest weekends, namely the Williams Lake Stampede,” said Insp. Jeff Pelley, Officer in Charge Williams Lake RCMP detachment. “The member presence combined with a core enforcement team focused on our prolific offenders and hot spots resulting in these successful charges against known offenders. We will continue to focus our strategies on violent offenders and those with unlawful access to weapons to ensure full accountability through the court system. “