Some of the firearms seized by police (Photo: Grande Prairie RCMP)

By Shaun Penner

Four-Hour standoff

Grande Prairie RCMP seize plethora of firearms following standoff with suspect

Dec 10, 2020 | 11:18 AM

A large cache of firearms has been seized and a Grande Prairie man is facing a litany of firearms-related charges after the RCMP executed a search earlier this month which led to a lengthy standoff.

Police obtained a search warrant for a property located approximately 45 km northeast of Grande Prairie, as part of an investigation that occurred following reports of a male being in possession of weapons and ammunition while under a lifetime firearms prohibition.

On the morning of December 2, Grande Prairie RCMP along with the Spirit River RCMP, RCMP Police Dog Services, RCMP Emergency Response Team and RCMP Air Services, attended the property, where the male suspect would not surrender to police.

Authorities say a four-hour standoff ensued before the suspect surrendered. Police add tools such as a Tactical Armoured Vehicle helped lead the suspect to surrender.

After completing the search of the property, RCMP seized 21 firearms, two crossbows and “several thousand” rounds of ammo.

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Photo: Grande Prairie RCMP

Photo: Grande Prairie RCMP

Photo: Grande Prairie RCMP

Now, 69-year-old Leonard Berry is charged with a total of 69 offences, including 24 counts of possession of a firearm or weapon contrary to a prohibition order and 20 counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

Berry was remanded into custody and is set to appear in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on December 14.

Back in 2015, Berry pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault of a police officer after an incident that occurred in the summer of 2013, in which the officer was found beaten in a ditch near Wanham, following a traffic stop.

Berry was given a three-year sentence for the assault.