Wilmot man faces impaired, drug, and firearms charges

A 24-year-old Wilmot man faces numerous charges after a concerned citizen contacted police about a man slumped over the steering wheel of his parked vehicle near a business on Highway 1 in Wilmot.

Annapolis District RCMP said they responded to the call at 9:15 a.m. on

Nov. 12. Police said the caller provided police with a description of the vehicle including the license plate number.

“An RCMP officer went to the scene and found the vehicle. It was running, and the lights were on,” police said in a media release. “The driver appeared to be conscious but didn't respond to the police officer.”

The police officer noticed several signs of impairment by drugs and arrested the driver, RCMP said.

No one else was in the vehicle.

A Drug Recognition Expert was called to evaluate the man and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Police found a knife, a shotgun round, some cannabis, and what is believed to be methamphetamine pills as well.

Police also located a loaded sawedoff shotgun in the vehicle and seized it.

The driver took the Drug Recognition Expert test and was determined to be impaired by a drug. He was held in custody and taken to Annapolis Royal Provincial Court on Nov. 13.

Joshua David McKay, 24, of Wilmot, has been charged with the following offences:

• Operating a Conveyance While Impaired by a Drug

• Trafficking in a Controlled Substance • Careless Use of a Firearm • Contravening Regulations to Transport a Firearm

• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose

• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon • Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm

• Possession of a Firearm Knowing Possession is Unauthorized

• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle

• Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition

McKay was released by the courts on conditions and is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 6, 2020. The investigation is ongoing.