A man accused of firing a gun near Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail will remain in custody at least until Feb. 8.
A bail hearing in Kelowna for Francis Paradis, who was born in 1993, was adjourned today for two months.
Paradis is now facing seven charges, including attempted murder and assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, along with five other gun-related counts.
Online court records have the notation “crim. org.” next to two of the counts, but Gordon Comer of the BC Prosecution Service said that does not actually indicate a link to organized crime.
He explained the section of the Criminal Code under which Paradis was charged applies if either a restricted or prohibited firearm is used, or if it is related to a criminal organization. In this case, it’s the gun that is key to two counts, namely attempted murder using a prohibited weapon and discharging a firearm with intent.
Police said they were called late on the evening of Oct. 25 to a report of a man from Quebec “behaving erratically” and trying to enter the ambulance station at the hospital.
Officers found the man, who had no previous history with them, standing just outside the station. They say while they tried to talk to him, he fired several rounds from a handgun at two officers and three paramedics nearby.
The exact number of shots was not disclosed. Police said instead of returning gunfire, they subdued the man with a taser.
No one physically injured in the incident.
