In response to a 911 call on March 25th, Port Alberni RCMP officers were dispatched to a home to conduct a well-being check.
Initially, officers were conducting a well-being check of a woman, but upon entering the premises in the 4800 block of Burde Street, officers discovered a significant stash of prohibited and restricted firearms, along with a substantial amount of ammunition.
In collaboration with the Port Alberni Major Crime and Crime Reduction Units, officers secured a search warrant for the residence.
The search was conducted the following day, March 26th. During the thorough examination of the property, RCMP uncovered additional firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as homemade explosive devices and chemicals associated with the manufacturing of explosives.
Given the volatile nature of some of the items discovered, the RCMP’s Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) was called in from the mainland.
On Wednesday, March 27th, at approximately 1:30 p.m. the EDU executed a controlled detonation at the residence.
“Some of the items officers located in the residence were to unstable to be safely moved to another location,” stated Constable Richard Johns. “EDU made the decision that the safest option was to complete the controlled detonation at the residence.”
48-year-old Joseph Walczak was arrested and charged with failing to comply with a release order and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.
More charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Constable Johns assured the public, stating, “Although our investigation is ongoing, we do not believe there is any risk to the public at this point.”
