Charges laid after driver brandishes ‘authentic looking’ handgun

Kingston Police arrested an 18-year-old local man after he rolled down his window at a red light and displayed an “authentic looking” handgun, which turned out to be a pellet gun.

At approximately 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, a driver (the complainant) was stopped at a red light on Gardiners Road at Taylor Kidd Boulevard. A black SUV pulled up beside the complainant and was blaring music. When the complainant looked over, the driver of the SUV lowered his window and showed the complainant a handgun.

The complainant contacted police, and responding officers located the SUV parked at a restaurant in the area, according to Kingston Police. The driver was located inside the restaurant, and the pellet gun was located on the passenger’s seat of the SUV.

The male driver was arrested and charged with possession of an imitation weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Const. Cam Mack, media relations officer for Kingston Police, said that it is unknown whether the 18-year-old is connected to other reported issues involving pellet guns and a black SUV. On Friday, Jul. 27, a Kingston Transit bus window was apparently shot out with a pellet gun, and Twitter users reported seeing a black SUV driving around the downtown core of Kingston while shooting a pellet gun out the window. Mack said Kingston Police are investigating whether or not there is a connection between that incident and the incident on August 11. Police are also looking into a possible connection to the rash of bus terminal vandalisms in Kingston, Mack said.