. E-mail This Article

Local hero

Man persuades drunken shooter to give up rifle

Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Sachs Harbour (Dec 22/00) - A man who terrorized Sachs Harbour residents with a 45-minute shooting spree will spend the next five months in jail.

Tony Lucas, 28, pleaded guilty in Territorial Court in Inuvik to careless use of a firearm.

He was also prohibited from using a firearm for two years and placed on probation for one year.

Witnesses said Lucas appeared to be extremely intoxicated when he began firing shots in the hamlet at approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Inuvik RCMP Cpl. Jeff Hurry said the shooting spree ended when a local man convinced Lucas to hand over the rifle.

"The (man) went out there and talked to (Lucas) calmly and actually talked him into giving up the firearm," Hurry said.

"He did a very swell job in getting the rifle from (Lucas) and everything else."

The man who disarmed Lucas declined to be identified.

He waited with Lucas and members of his family until RCMP arrived from Inuvik at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

"I believe we are fortunate that he was there to get the matter to be concluded in such a successful way," said Hurry.