Man arrested in Courtenay after gun incident at Saanich Centre
The man being sought after a handgun was drawn by a suspected shoplifter Tuesday at Saanich Centre has been arrested in Courtenay.
He is scheduled for a court appearance today.
Comox Valley RCMP arrested Michael Godolphin just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday without incident. He is facing a number of charges, including robbery with a weapon, in connection with the Saanich incident and is also suspected of unspecified Criminal Code offences in Courtenay.
As they began their search, police warned that Godolphin was considered armed and dangerous, and urged anyone who recognized him from images distributed to the media to call 911.
Police had responded to a report of a fight at Saanich Centre, at Quadra Street and McKenzie Avenue, before determining that a handgun was believed to be involved. Godolphin was identified from surveillance video as a suspect.
Acting Saanich police Sgt. Jereme Leslie said he did not have details on why Godolphin was in Courtenay. There were reported sightings of him in Nanaimo on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s incident happened outside the London Drugs store at Saanich Centre when a man was stopped by a loss-prevention officer about 1:30 p.m. The man brandished a handgun and ran away, heading south on the Lochside Regional Trail.
As he fled, the man stole an electric bike from a trail user.
News of the incident prompted a brief “hold-and-secure” alert that required students and staff at nearby Reynolds Secondary School to stay where they were.