Concerning allegations keep man behind bars

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This article was published 14/04/2023 (1258 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man will remain behind bars after he allegedly fled from police before they found him sitting in a parked car with a modified handgun, ammunition and methamphetamine.

Earl Huntinghawk, 33, was denied bail in court Thursday. He is facing several charges related to weapons and impaired driving from earlier this month in addition to a careless use of firearms charge from September 2021 when a bullet landed near children playing in a Chater park.

The charges against Huntinghawk have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

On Sept. 9, 2021, a man was with his wife and children at a park in the town of Chater, along with other neighbourhood kids. Suddenly, the man heard what he thought was a firecracker being set off. But there was no display of lights in the sky — instead, a hot bullet from a rifle landed near the family.

The man told police the sound came from an area north of Chater and provided them with the bullet. Brandon RCMP’s investigation led them to a home where they found three males, one of them a youth who said they had been shooting a rifle a short time ago and provided the rifle to Mounties. The three males were arrested for careless use of a firearm.

In a statement to RCMP, the youth said the trio had been trying out the rifle and fired it from the outside garden on the south side of the house.

Fast-forward to last Thursday, a car was travelling northbound in the 1600 block of Ninth Street when Brandon police noticed the front bumper of the vehicle was not properly attached to the car and was dragging along the road.

Police followed the vehicle westbound on Aberdeen Avenue, then turned on their flashing lights.

The car didn’t pull over and stop, but rather continued west on Aberdeen, leading police to follow all the way to the Tim Hortons on 18th Street.

Finally, the car came to a stop in the parking lot of the restaurant.

When police approached the driver’s side window, they smelled alcohol and observed the driver slurring his words. In the console of the vehicle, they noticed a glass pipe containing a white substance, which was later revealed to be meth. When the driver was searched, police found a knife and two rounds of .22 ammunition in the pockets of his cargo pants.

During a search of the vehicle, police found a loaded modified handgun, which was lying on a duffle bag behind the passenger seat. One round was in the chamber of the handgun and the other was found in a makeshift holder attached to the firearm.

The Crown on Thursday was opposed to Huntinghawk’s release, citing concern over him driving around town with a firearm while still facing other outstanding weapon-related charges.

“It’s very concerning that Mr. Huntinghawk is driving a vehicle with a loaded firearm, with ammunition in his pocket,” Crown attorney Caroline Lacey told the court.

Huntinghawk is also under a court-ordered weapons prohibition from a conviction for assault with a weapon from 2010.

Defence lawyer Jesse Blackman presented a bail plan for his client that included having him be released to reside in Morden, around 212 kilometres southeast of Brandon.

Blackman pointed out potential issues in the Crown’s case against his client, including the legal challenges around proving Huntinghawk fired the rifle in Chater and being responsible for the meth and firearms reportedly found in the vehicle last week.

Judge Donovan Dvorak emphasized the increasing seriousness of the allegations against Huntinghawk, with first apparently being involved in the firing of a bullet that landed near a young family, then possessing firearms despite a prohibition and driving while impaired.

“It’s suggested that perhaps a meth pipe is beside him in the console. A loaded handgun is in the car, and there’s ammunition in his pocket,” Dvorak said. “The combination of meth, impairment, a handgun and ammunition is an extremely dangerous circumstance.”

Ultimately, the judge sided with the Crown’s position and denied Huntinghawk’s bail application, keeping him behind bars at Brandon Correctional Centre.

Huntinghawk will next appear in court on May 1.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com