From weapons incidents to a dog that wouldn't leave a police car, Prince George RCMP received over 100 calls for service during a busy New Year's Eve night shift.
The most serious incidents involved the arrest to two men both armed with knives who police described as "heavily intoxicated" in separate incidents in the early morning hours on Wednesday.
First at just after 1:30 a.m., police were called to a complaint of a man threatening others with a knife near the Husky gas station on Central. The man, who had cut his hand with the knife, is in police custody.
Then just before 4 a.m. police where called to a house party on Pine Street to deal with another man with a knife. No one was injured in the incident and a man was arrested.
Around 5:30 a.m., four men were arrested after police responded to a fight near the 7/11 on 20th Avenue. No one was injured, but police seized bear spray and clubs and are continuing to investigate.
Meanwhile, just before midnight police successfully located a missing man who had left a residence on Blackwater Road west of Prince George. The man, who had a rifle with him, fired three shots in the air to allow police to locate his whereabouts. Officers used snowshoes to trek to the man's location and bring him to safety. The man was taken to hospital for observation after showing signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
On the traffic enforcement front, police did not charge anyone with criminal code impaired driving offences despite being out in full force. However they did issue more than 100 tickets for violations ranging from distracted driving to driving with open liquor in the vehicle. Five 24-hour suspensions where handed out for driving under the influence and two immediate road side suspensions were issued.
Traffic officers also made several drug seizures and arrested one person on outstanding warrants.
Police are also looking for the owners of a small, white fluffy dog injured in a collision with a vehicle on Highway 16 near Tyner Blvd. The dog was badly injured and has been taken to the Prince George Veterinary Hospital for treatment.
Finally, in a more lighthearted incident, a constable was patrolling the area around Foothills Blvd., and 15th Ave., around 11 p.m. when he saw a person chasing a dog. He stopped to help and the dog entered his police cruiser and refused to leave.
"This constable, who is a very competent investigator, but happens to have very low skills in dealing with animals, was unable to coax the dog out of the car," Staff Sgt. Jeff McArthur wrote in a news release. "[The constable] then made an uncomfortable trip back to the detachment to get back up. Once there he pleaded with the watch commander to remove the potentially hostile dog from the police car."
McArthur went on to write that the "friendly sheepdog" named Luke was successfully removed from the car and shortly thereafter reunited with its owners.
