Gatineau police say a 16-year-old is facing numerous firearms-related charges after being arrested over the weekend.
Two people called police at around 9:15 a.m. Saturday about a person who appeared to be drunk in the Saint-Rédempteur area in Hull.
A short distance away, police said they saw a man who matched the suspect description in the presence of two others. The suspect kept his hand in his shoulder bag, police said, which caused officers to subdue him out of concern for safety.
A loaded firearm was found inside the bag, police claimed.
“The on-site investigation allowed the police to determine that the suspect, a 16-year-old young man, had attempted to steal the vehicle of one of the two men who were with him at the time of the arrest,” Gatineau police said in a news release. “During the attempted theft of the vehicle, the teenager allegedly pointed the weapon at the victim.”
According to police, the victim was able to get the suspect out of the car with the help of a friend. The pair were trying to prevent the suspect from taking the gun out of the bag.
Gatineau police said the teenager is facing several firearms and theft charges. He cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.