Two Duncan men spent a night in jail earlier this month, and could be facing further charges, after an incident that began with a report of shots being fired at a Cowichan Lake Road residence.
The North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP responded to the report on June 2, but by the time they arrived, the individuals involved had fled the scene.
A witness identified the suspects, who were by then driving around the Duncan area with a gun in their Chevy Blazer, while the location of the victims was unknown.
A ground search ensued, and the vehicle was spotted travelling south on Somenos Road near Highway 18. Officers flooded the area and surrounded the truck on Somenos Road just south of Drinkwater Road.
With the help of a service dog, and with "minimal threat" to the officers and the public, the two men, aged 22 and 23, were taken into custody.
One of the suspects cooperated with the police and showed them where the gun was in the vehicle.
The Blazer was towed away and the two men were held in custody overnight as police continued to investigate. The investigation remains ongoing with possible charges of assault with a weapon.
According to RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Krista Hobday, officers always take all precautions when dealing with individuals they believe to be armed.
"Every gun call is treated as real," she said. "Every gun, whether it's reported to be a toy, a replica, or real, will be treated as a real and an imminent threat to police and public safety and dealt with accordingly. Our No. 1 priority is public safety."