TREENA MIELKE/Rimbey Review
A 19-year-old man who came a little too close for comfort to hitting a man driving a backhoe has been charged with careless use of a firearm.
Sgt. Mark Grooves of the Rimbey RCMP said officers from the detachment responded to a call on June 10 from a man at Viewmar Estates northwest of Rimbey off the Medicine Lake Road, who said he heard six shots and then the window of the backhoe he was driving exploded after it was shot out.
Groves said the police responded immediately and cordoned off the area.
The RCMP dog section was also called in.
A man was arrested and charged and is to appear in Rimbey provincial court. His gun, a Ruger assault type rifle, was seized.
Groves said the public needs to be aware of the importance of shooting firearms in a safe place.
“Although firearms like this are legally obtained, they do paint a picture to the responding officer that they may be dealing with a person using a machine gun. Police cannot stress enough the absolute importance of only discharging these weapons in a safe place, knowing your target and what is down range.”