“Guns and body armour”: Action film shoot spurs major police response
A safety scare in North Vancouver that attracted a large police presence turned out to be an amateur film set.
North Vancouver RCMP responded to a report from an on-duty security guard that several males wearing body armour and carrying rifles were at an underground parking lot on Saturday, October 7.
Police officers flooded the scene to discover that the weapons and armour were actually replicas for an amateur action film the group was filming.
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Since the incident, RCMP are warning the public about necessary permissions.
The group did not have the necessary permits to film and failed to inform the surrounding businesses and residents of their shoot, prompting the serious false alarm.
Const. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP addressed the incident in a news release.
“Police take firearms complaints very seriously due to the threat they pose to public and officer safety. We will respond with appropriate resources, tactics, and level of force each time,” said Sahak.
“In this instance, we are glad that no one was seriously injured while responding to the potential threat. However, incidents like these have a negative impact on our ability to respond to other real emergencies that are occurring in the city,” Sahak continued.
The amateur film crew was ultimately given a warning after being educated about the proper procedures for filming using a public space.