Man may seek bail for third time

A Pincher Creek man may seek his release from custody for the third time since February when he returns to court later this month.

Dewey Todd Starzyk appeared briefly in Lethbridge provincial court Thursday on several new charges that were laid last weekend. The matter was simply adjourned, however, to April 18 in Pincher Creek where he will appear by closed-circuit TV form the Lethbridge Correctional Centre for a possible bail hearing.

Starzyk, who appeared by CCTV Thursday, was arrested without incident Saturday after RCMP went to a residence in Coleman in the Crowsnest Pass. The 53-year-old man faces new charges of robbery with a firearm, careless use of a firearm, carrying a weapon while committing an offence, uttering death threats, drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, and three charges for failing to comply with his conditions.

It's the third time the accused has been arrested since Feb. 8 when police responded to an early morning complaint in Pincher Creek that shots had been fired. Police initially reported they had been fired upon when they approached a residence. From that a lengthy standoff ensued until Starzyk was taken into custody by the RCMP Emergency Response Team several hours later. He was charged with careless use of a firearm, breach of conditions and three counts of uttering threats.

Starzyk made bail, but less than three weeks later he was back in custody, then released, on charges of breaching a recognizance and drug possession after police stopped a vehicle and, during a search, found a small amount of cocaine.