Loaded sawed-off rifle seized after Fort St. John disturbance call
A call about a man reportedly yelling and swinging a knife outside in Fort St. John led police to a vehicle early Sunday morning, where officers say they found two firearms, ammunition and a short sword.
Fort St. John RCMP received the report at about 6:21 a.m. on Sept. 6, after someone called about a disturbance involving a man outside near a vehicle in the area of 78A Street and 81st Avenue.
Frontline officers arrived and found a man sitting inside a vehicle, and based on the details provided in the original call, placed him under arrest while they continued their investigation into what had happened.
Police say ammunition was found on the man, while officers also found a short sword, a loaded sawed-off rifle and a second firearm in the vehicle.
Gaven Jackson was arrested and held for court, and is now facing five approved charges stemming from the investigation, including two counts of possession of a firearm contrary to an order.
He is also charged with possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized.
For Fort St. John RCMP Const. Chad Neustaeter, the call was a good example of what can happen when someone in the community sees something that doesn't look right and takes the time to report it.
“This is an exemplary case where the public saw something that didn’t seem right and they reported it to police,” said Neustaeter.
“In this instance, the result of the investigation lead to the arrest of an individual who is not supposed to have firearms. It also resulted in the seizure of weapons, likely stopping future firearms related crimes from happening in our city, and getting them out of the hands of the criminal element.”
Jackson remains in police custody ahead of his next court appearance on Sept. 8, 2026.
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