Kingston Police seize illegal handguns after arresting dangerous driver

On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, Kingston Police were called to the area of MacDonnell Street near Concession — a heavily populated area at the time, as the Kingston Fall Fair was taking place at the Memorial Centre.

According to a release from police, officers responded to the call for service at approximately 9:35 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, officers could hear a vehicle accelerating loudly away from the area, travelling down MacDonnell Street at a high rate of speed.

Responding General Patrol officers observed the vehicle make a sharp turn eastbound onto First Avenue before squealing its tires, according to the release. Pedestrians, who were endangered by the passing vehicle, had been attempting to cross the street at this location and the street was heavily populated with members of the public walking to and from the Fall Fair.

Police said that officers were able to catch up to the vehicle as it travelled on Connaught Street and then east on Concession Street where it accelerated away loudly again. Concession Street at this time was also heavily populated with pedestrian and vehicular traffic, according to the release.

The vehicle was pulled over by police on Concession Street near Fergus Street. According to the release, police arrested the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle for dangerous driving and a search incident to arrest revealed that the accused was in possession of a prohibited weapon as well as an open container of liquor.

A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded 9mm handgun with a swastika carved into the receiver. Police also located a full box of 9mm ammunition, a loaded sawed-off shotgun, and two other firearms inside the vehicle that were not secured by locks or in storage cases, Kingston Police noted.

According to the release, a search of the accused individual’s backpack revealed that they were in possession of various government identification and a credit card, which did not belong to them.

Police said that the accused was transported to police headquarters where they were held to attend a bail hearing.  

A 26-year-old local individual was charged with the following:

• dangerous operation of a conveyance
• two counts of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace
• two counts of transporting a firearm carelessly
• transporting ammunition carelessly
• possession of a prohibited firearm without holding a licence and registration certificate
• contravening a regulation for the transportation of prohibited firearms
• contravening a regulation for the possession of restricted weapons
• contravening a condition of a licence by transporting prohibited weapons
• unauthorized possession of credit card data
• possession of an identity document of another

“Whether it is members from our Patrol Division or other investigators from various specialized units within the Kingston Police who complete these thorough investigations, we would like to assure the public that Kingston Police is committed to keeping illegal firearms off of the streets of our community,” said Acting Chief of Police Scott Fraser. “We are further committed to holding those who are involved in these types of offences criminally accountable.”