A man who allegedly ran across the U.S. border into Langley with a loaded handgun was zapped by police last Friday, March 4.
The incident began when Langley RCMP were alerted to an illegal crossing on foot in the 24300-block of Zero Avenue just before 7 a.m.
The first Mounties to the scene found a silver Infiniti G37 with California licence plates abandoned just on the American side of the border, facing north.
The vehicle was registered to a man known to police, and with a history of attempting to illegally enter Canada. A suspect matching the description of the car’s owner was soon spotted running from the scene, said Cpl. Holly Largy, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.
Officers from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit’s (CFSEU) gang enforcement team and the Lower Mainland Police Dog Services unit began tracking the suspect from his last known location.
Just after 8 a.m., the Langley RCMP got another report, this caller saying that a man matching the suspect’s description was trying to get into a nearby house.
By now, the group searching for the suspect included members of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team (ERT).
Police searched the house where the alleged border jumper had last been seen, and couldn’t locate him inside, said Largy.
But an ERT member spotted him hiding under the house. The man was ordered to come out, and when he did, he ran for it, heading into an empty field.
When officers chasing on foot saw the man reach into the front pocket of his hoodie, they shot him with an energy weapon, knocking him down.
The man had a loaded gun and extra magazines in his hoodie pocket.
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Christopher Wilfredo Lopez, 28, from Bakersfield, Calif. is in custody, charged with possession of a prohibited firearm and failing to comply with an undertaking. The investigation is ongoing and more charges may be considered.
Court records also show that Lopez was charged with criminal harassment and extortion in Surrey, incidents that allegedly took place on Dec. 1, 2021.
Persons charged with a criminal offence are considered not guilty until the charges are proven in court.
Supt. Adrian Marsden, head of the Langley RCMP, said quick and coordinated action by multiple police agencies, including those in the U.S., along with tips from the public, prevented a “likely deadly situation.”
“It was definitely the best outcome we could have hoped for,” Marsden said.
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
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