A realistic-looking pellet gun led to real charges being laid

An early-morning showdown with an alleged gun-toting man ended with one person in police custody.

Thunder Bay Police were called to a Cumming Street address about 5 a.m. on Monday, after receiving a call about a man threatening a resident with a handgun.

"When they arrived on scene, there was in fact a male who was visible outside the residence – he was inside – and was allegedly pointing a handgun at another male inside the residence," police spokesman Chris Adams said.

"The officers surrounded the house and were in the process of beginning to communicate with this individual inside the home. He came outside. It’s alleged that a handgun was then pointed at one of our officers as well, but this individual surrendered the weapon and gave himself up to police."

It turned out the weapon was a realistic looking pellet gun.

William Allan McDonald, 23, has been charged with multiple offences, including two counts of assault with a weapon, possession on a dangerous weapon and two counts of using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence.

Adams said the incident put officers in a precarious situation.

"The handgun is extremely realistic in its appearance, and certainly would be very intimidating and viewed as being a real handgun," Adams said. "For the purposes of the charges which were laid, that is reflected."

Adams added the accused and his alleged victim did know one another, and there was a confrontation between them, though he speculated it wasn’t drug related. The exact nature of the dispute is a matter for the courts to hear, Adams said.

In a situation like this, police are faced with a split-second decision of whether or not their lives are in danger.

"You have to imagine that our officers are put in a very awkward situation. It’s very often a life-and-death situation that they have to deal with. In a situation like this it comes down to the judgement of the officers dealing with this person," Adams said.

"Certainly if any of us could imagine how fearful that would be, to have a firearm pointed at any one of us, it would be a very tough situation. But in this case the officer was able to communicate with this person, gave them direct orders, which they obeyed. Thankfully this ended with this person being taken into custody without injuries."

There was no way to gauge whether or not the weapon was real at the time, he added.

McDonald is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.