Halifax RCMP charge two people with firearms offences after traffic stop

The RCMP logo is pictured in this file photo.

The Halifax regional detachment of the RCMP charged two people with firearms offences on Thursday following an investigation into suspicious activities they said in a news relese.

At approximately 2 a.m., police on routine patrols saw two vehicles in a parking lot at a school on Auburn Drive in Dartmouth. Police initiated a traffic stop and saw open alcohol in the vehicles.

Officers arrested the driver and passenger in one of the vehicles and searched the vehicle under the Nova Scotia Liquor Control Act, where they discovered a loaded firearm.

Markel Downey, 28, of Halifax is charged with nine offences, including Unauthorized Possession of Firearm, Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized, Possession of Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, and Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Jessica Jennings, 25, of Halifax, is charged with seven offences, including Possession of Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose and Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Both Downey and Jennings appeared in court on Thursday. Downey is scheduled to appear at provincial court on Feb. 5, 2025. Jennings is scheduled to appear at Dartmouth Provincial Court on Sept. 25, 2024.

The driver of the second vehicle had their licence suspended for seven days after failing a roadside breath test.

The investigation is ongoing.

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