A man is in police custody after an incident at the Black Creek General Store.
On Oct. 10, the Comox Valley RCMP acted on information received that a man in Black Creek was in possession of a firearm and allegedly threatened to shoot a police officer.
“The members of the plainclothes units at the Comox Valley RCMP detachment worked quickly to determine the authenticity of the information received and with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team, collectively brought this man into custody without anyone getting hurt,” said Insp. Mike Kurvers, Officer in Charge of the Comox Valley RCMP Detachment. “Our priority is always the safety of our community and acting on information of this nature can be very dynamic with many different considerations along the way.”
The man was under surveillance when he was followed to the Black Creek General Store. Police approached the man after he entered the bathroom but he refused to come out, telling police that he had a gun. The Emergency Response Team assisted in getting him out of the bathroom and into police custody.
According to witnesses, a flash grenade was used to get the suspect out of the washroom.
Forty-two-year-old Stephen Pawlak has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon (handgun), unauthorized possession of a loaded handgun, and possession of a firearm contrary to an order. He made his court first appearance in Courtenay, Friday, Oct. 11 and his next appearance is scheduled for Oct. 17.
The Major Crime Unit is continuing their investigation and asking for any witnesses to Pawlak’s activities prior to his arrest to come forward and speak with police.
Anyone with information is asked to call 250-338-1321 and refer to file 2019-15891. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca.