By rdnewsNOW staff

gun fired

Ponoka RCMP arrest two people in rural area, warn residents of taking matters into their own hands

Nov 22, 2024 | 3:33 PM

Ponoka RCMP have charged two people following an alleged incident on Nov. 18.

It was just after 2 p.m. that day when RCMP say they received a report about a suspicious person in a rural field being chased by local residents. This was in the area of Range Road 251 and Township Road 433.

RCMP located and arrested a male who’d be detained by a resident after throwing a knife at them, police add.

Police then received a report of a shooting in the same area.

People in a truck had been approached by two people in another truck while on Montana First Nation.

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One occupant of the second truck, who was a resident out looking for a suspect, allegedly pointed a gun and fired a bullet at their vehicle. There were no injuries.

As a result of the investigation, RCMP charged the original suspect, Montana First Nation resident, Jeral Maurice Thomas Rabbit, 25, with:

• Assault with a weapon;
• Possession of a weapon contrary to order (x2);
• Fail to comply with release condition (x3).

Rabbit was taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody with his next court date set for Nov. 22, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Ponoka.

As a result of the second incident, RCMP have charged Ponoka County resident, Denton David Bonnett, 40, with:

• Careless use of a firearm;
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
• Reckless discharge of a firearm.

Bonnett was taken before a Justice of the Peace and released from custody on bail with conditions with his next court date set for Dec. 6, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Ponoka

In a statement, Alberta RCMP spokesperson, Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, said residents should be wary about taking matters into their own hands.

“This is an example of a local resident who armed themselves and attempted to chase after someone engaged in a criminal act. In doing so, the resident came across a completely innocent third party and erroneously believed they were related to the original suspect,” Savinkoff says.

“The resident then [allegedly] committed a serious criminal act by firing a gun in the direction of the innocent third-party. We remind the public to keep yourselves and family safe and allow the police to respond to crimes in progress.”

Savinkoff says RCMP are the ones, not residents, who have the training and equipment to properly respond to these events.

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READ MORE: Citizens on Patrol needs new members in Ponoka