A North Battleford man was sentenced Monday to 540 days in jail on weapons-related offences. He was also handed 90 days for charges of possession of break-in tools, assault and breach of court conditions.
Conner Dreaver, 24, was charged after Battlefords RCMP Gang Task Force noticed a wanted man walking in North Battleford on Dec. 13, 2023. Officers had tried to arrest him but he fled on foot. While running away, he pulled out a concealed firearm and dropped it, which police recovered.
Two days later, police saw him go into a home on 105th Street in North Battleford. He was arrested with help from the Saskatchewan RCMP Critical Incident Response Team. Police found ammunition on him during the arrest.
Dreaver was charged with two counts each of resisting a peace officer and possession of weapons contrary to a court order. He was also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, carrying a firearm in a careless manner, and unlicensed possession of a prohibited device. He was also arrested for breaching a conditional sentence order.
During his sentencing hearing in April, defence told the court that Dreaver understands it’s not acceptable to walk around with a loaded firearm but was carrying it for protection.
“He did not use the gun for violence, he did not use it to intimidate or point it at anyone,” said defence counsel Andrew Lister, adding that North Battleford is a more dangerous place for young First Nations men.
“Fear leads to some Indigenous men to arming themselves.”
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