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Convicted cop given back his gun for duty

A LOCAL RCMP officer convicted for criminal harassment was ordered not to possess or use firearms for 10 years except for when he’s working.

A LOCAL RCMP officer convicted for criminal harassment was ordered not to possess or use firearms for 10 years except for when he’s working.

Chad King, a highway patrol constable stationed here, received a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to a charge of criminal harassment in provincial court here Dec. 5 and was back in court Dec. 7 where a 10-year firearms prohibition was tacked onto his conviction.

The section of the criminal code that he was convicted under, section 264, carries a mandatory firearms prohibition, said Neil Mackenzie, communications counsel for the criminal justice branch of the provincial government.

The prohibition was ordered with the qualification “There shall be an exemption...that the Chief Firearms Officer or The Registrar may issue forthwith, an authorization, a licence or registration certificate, as the case may be, to Chad King for the purposes of his employment with the RCMP.”

Chief firearms officers do the decision making and administration for licences, authorizations to transport and authorizations to carry, transfers of firearms by individuals and businesses, and gun show sponsorship approvals, explained Mackenzie.

“This involves determining an applicant’s eligibility and either issuing, refusing to issue, renewing or revoking the licence, authorization to transport, carry, transfer or sponsor. It also involves setting conditions on these documents.”

Each province and territory has a chief firearms officer.