A man who ran naked with a gun through an Abbotsford apartment building last June and fired two shots has been found not criminally responsible for the incident due to a mental disorder.
The ruling for Ryan George Vaughan, 31, was issued last week in Abbotsford provincial court. He has been detained in custody.
Following the incident on June 13, 2011, Vaughan was charged with six offences – careless use of a firearm, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, pointing a firearm, possessing a prohibited firearm, possession of a firearm while prohibited, and break and enter.
The incident took place in the Town and Country apartment complex at 33690 Marshall Rd.
Police received reports that a naked man was in a hallway with a gun, and had fired two shots, aimed the gun in a threatening manner at another person, and set off the fire alarm.
More than 30 officers from all sections – including the Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team – were deployed to the scene, where they cordoned off adjacent streets and evacuated tenants.
A man appeared on a third-floor balcony – which police later learned was the suite above his residence – and began throwing things, including a fire extinguisher. He disappeared in and out of the suite, while officers tried to communicate with him.
Vaughan was arrested about two hours later when he scaled the balconies down to the ground. He was first taken to the Abbotsford Police station and then to the hospital for assessment.
Vaughan later faced two additional charges – possession for the purpose of trafficking and production of a controlled substance – for items allegedly found in his suite that day. A trial on those charges is slated to begin Oct. 4 in Abbotsford provincial court.
When a person is found not criminally responsible, the courts or the B.C. Review Board can issue an absolute or conditional discharge, or custody in a hospital.