An elderly man was arrested Friday afternoon for allegedly shooting at birds with a shotgun in the backyard of his Coquitlam home.
The incident occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. near Como Lake Avenue and Poirier Street, and students at nearby Parkland elementary school were kept indoors for the duration of the incident.
"When our members attended, we arrested a man in his 80s," said Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung on Monday. "Apparently, he was firing a shotgun at crows because he was having a bird problem."
Police were tight-lipped about the incident Friday afternoon.
Several members of the public tweeted that they had witnessed officers with guns drawn in the area and asked the RCMP for more information.
All Mounties would say after the arrest was that there had been a police incident that was dealt with peacefully. The Tri-City News contacted the RCMP after the situation was resolved but was told that no details about the incident would be forthcoming.
On Monday, Chung confirmed the arrest and said that investigators were talking with witnesses to determine whether charges would be laid.
"This incident serves as a good reminder that even if they have firearms that are legal, they should exercise extreme caution," Chung said, "and always use them at an appropriate venue."
@gmckennaTC
