Man with replica handgun arrested near North Vancouver City Library

North Vancouver RCMP have arrested a man after a report was received of a man holding what appeared to be a plastic imitation gun near a public library.

On April 6th, 2024, just before 7 p.m. North Vancouver RCMP received reports of a man manipulating a gun in Civic Plaza near North Vancouver City Library located at 126 West 14th Street. Officers flooded the area and were in search of a suspect with the description that was provided by a witness. Officers quickly located a man matching the description near a bus stop on Lonsdale Avenue and took him into custody. The imitation gun was seized.

During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the man was on probation and had conditions not to possess any imitation firearms or weapons. He was held in police custody to be brought forward to a judge.

On April 7th, 2024, Benjamin McBeath, 47, was charged with Failing to Comply with a Probation Order under section 733.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada and remanded by the courts.

Frontline officers treated this extremely seriously, following all the protocols in place for responding to incidents involving firearms, said Cst. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP.

Police want to caution the public about the dangers of playing with imitation guns in a public place. Replica guns are indistinguishable from the real thing. While they may seem harmless, they can cause panic and will elicit a police response.