Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Jan 30/06) - A Hay River man pleaded guilty to a charge resulting from an armed stand-off with police on New Year's Day.

A 43-year-old man was charged with careless use of a firearm.

In Hay River Territorial Court on Jan. 25, he was sentenced to one day in jail - considered served by his court appearance - and fined $300. A five-year firearms ban was also issued.

According to the RCMP at the time, the intoxicated and emotional man called police just after 3 a.m. from a friend's house, threatening to shoot himself with a rifle.

When officers arrived, they could see the man with a rifle inside the house, located on 104th Street in Old Town. He threatened to shoot any police who approached the house, but surrendered peacefully after about 40 minutes of negotiations.

Police found a 30/30 rifle in the home, with one round in the weapon. The homeowner slept through the incident.

In court, the man said he doesn't remember having the firearm and doesn't know who owned it.

"I was under the influence of alcohol at the time," he said, asking the court for leniency while noting he was starting work on Jan. 30.

Judge Bernadette Schmaltz warned the man that guns and alcohol don't mix. "This situation could have been incredibly dangerous," she said.