SASKATOON, Sask. — What started as a routine traffic stop for an expired license plate ended in Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) seizing firearms and drugs.
On Sept. 1, shortly after 6 p.m., CPSS officers were travelling through Saskatoon near the intersection of Marquis Drive and Faithful Avenue when they observed a British Columbia-plated vehicle. A records check showed the plate's registration had been expired since 2014, and officers initiated a traffic stop.
At the roadside, officers formed the opinion that the driver was impaired by drugs. A Standardized Field Sobriety Test was conducted, and the driver performed poorly. As a result, the driver was arrested.
While confirming vehicle ownership, officers determined the passenger was subject to an outstanding warrant.
He was arrested on the warrant and, incident to arrest, was searched. Officers located suspected controlled substances on his person.
With both occupants in custody, officers searched the vehicle for further evidence related to the impaired driving and drug investigation. The search located additional suspected controlled substances and a 12-gauge shotgun.
As a result, a 30-year-old man from Regina and a 22-year-old man from Southey are facing charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unsafe transportation of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a controlled substance.
The vehicle was impounded for 60 days. The driver received a 120-day licence suspension and two additional offence notices.
Both accused were conveyed to Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) cells, where they were processed and held for a disposition hearing before a Hearing Officer.
CPPS says they remain committed to proactive traffic enforcement recognizing that often proactive traffic enforcement for road safety results in much more serious criminal investigations.
