Two men arrested as part of the Prince George RCMP's crackdown a wave of drug-related violence in the city are no longer facing charges.
Stays of proceeding were issued Wednesday during a hearing at the Prince George courthouse on charges against Jamie Wade Fatum, 28, and Joshua Thomas Toman, 21, a week after they were taken into custody during a takedown at a 400-block Lyon Street home.
Crown prosecution had approved eight firearms-related counts and three counts of breaching probation against Fatum six firearms-related counts and three counts of breaching an undertaking against Toman following their arrests.
Stays of proceedings are issued whenever it's determined there is not enough evidence to achieve a conviction.
Although most matters that have been stayed are not reopened, Crown counsel can, within certain limits, restart the proceedings. The time limit is six months for summary matters and a year for indictable matters.
Police had said the arrests were made as part of an investigation into a string of what they believe to have been targeted attacks carried out by two rival groups involved in the drug trade, most involving gunplay although there was also one arson.
The trouble appears to have since subsided, particularly after members of the B.C. Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit's Uniform Gang Enforcement Team were brought in last weekend to help local RCMP make arrests and seize weapons and drugs.
