Police confront explosive situation
By Kyra Hoggan
Police got to see evidence of the other Big Bang theory in Greenwood last week, as the execution of a search warrant uncovered dynamite, a grenade and several loaded weapons.
“It should also be noted that the residence had a surveillance system set up with a live camera view of the front gate/yard area onto a 36-inch TV screen inside the house,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Dan Seibel. “Inside the residence, near the monitoring TV, were three loaded weapons.”
Justin Douglas, 35, was arrested at the residence and will be appearing in provincial court on Aug. 23.
Seibel said police do not, as yet, have any working theories as to the reason such an arsenal was in the home, but said police found stolen goods, including items from a break-and-enter at the Grand Forks RCMP detachment storage locker on Aug. 12.
Police are now going through all the reports of thefts and break-and-enters in the area, seeking matches with the items found in the residence (an interesting side note: Seibel said electronic file-keeping has offered the RCMP significant assistance in combing the files; making the task both faster and easier for investigating officers).
Seized weapons included a 12-gauge shotgun, a .303 rifle and a .22 rifle, all loaded, as well as 15 sticks of dynamite wrapped together with a home-made-style fuse, two sticks of dynamite wrapped together with a home-made-style fuse, two single sticks of dynamite and a grenade.
The RCMP explosives disposal unit safely detonated the dynamite and grenade, with the Greenwood Fire Department and B.C. Ambulance Service standing by, “for precautionary reasons”.
“Efforts are under way to locate and arrest the other two outstanding suspects and return any stolen items to their rightful owners in a timely manner,” Seibel said.
