Mounties in a rural area near Edmonton have charged an 84-year old man with aggravated assault after he allegedly shot a teenager for trespassing on his land.It comes more than five years after an Okotoks rancher was cleared of shooting a thief who had trespassed on his land near Calgary.St. Albert RCMP reported on Tuesday that two teens, aged 16 and 15, were caught trespassing in a scrapyard of old abandoned vehicles and farm machinery located on a rural property about two kilometres west of St. Albert on Saturday, June 29. A confrontation ensued with the property owner that left the 16-year old shot with serious life threatening injuries. As of Tuesday the boy was still in hospital in stable condition..Jim Bregin, 84, was charged with four charges including: aggravated assault; reckless discharge of a firearm; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and using a firearm in the commission of an offence.He was remanded in custody and will appear in court in Morinville on Thursday, July 4.The incident is reminiscent of an episode in February of 2018 when Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice was charged with shooting a trespasser who was caught stealing from vehicles on his property. The charges were subsequently dropped after Maurice said he fired a warning shot that ricocheted and hit the man in the arm.In that case, however, the trespasser was a 45-year old methamphetamine addict and career criminal who was charged with mischief, theft and trespassing. He would go on to be charged at least five more times for automobile theft and stealing copper wire, among other offences including drug possession.When contacted, RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinfoff said initial investigations suggest the two situations aren’t similar.The boys were apparently interested in the ‘scrap’ which he described as old vehicles strewn about the edge of the property and wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time.“Certainly they (the teens) were trespassing. That much isn’t in doubt,” he said. “Then he (Bregin) came out with a firearm and there was a confrontation that resulted in one of the boys being shot.”
Mounties in a rural area near Edmonton have charged an 84-year old man with aggravated assault after he allegedly shot a teenager for trespassing on his land.It comes more than five years after an Okotoks rancher was cleared of shooting a thief who had trespassed on his land near Calgary.St. Albert RCMP reported on Tuesday that two teens, aged 16 and 15, were caught trespassing in a scrapyard of old abandoned vehicles and farm machinery located on a rural property about two kilometres west of St. Albert on Saturday, June 29. A confrontation ensued with the property owner that left the 16-year old shot with serious life threatening injuries. As of Tuesday the boy was still in hospital in stable condition..Jim Bregin, 84, was charged with four charges including: aggravated assault; reckless discharge of a firearm; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and using a firearm in the commission of an offence.He was remanded in custody and will appear in court in Morinville on Thursday, July 4.The incident is reminiscent of an episode in February of 2018 when Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice was charged with shooting a trespasser who was caught stealing from vehicles on his property. The charges were subsequently dropped after Maurice said he fired a warning shot that ricocheted and hit the man in the arm.In that case, however, the trespasser was a 45-year old methamphetamine addict and career criminal who was charged with mischief, theft and trespassing. He would go on to be charged at least five more times for automobile theft and stealing copper wire, among other offences including drug possession.When contacted, RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinfoff said initial investigations suggest the two situations aren’t similar.The boys were apparently interested in the ‘scrap’ which he described as old vehicles strewn about the edge of the property and wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time.“Certainly they (the teens) were trespassing. That much isn’t in doubt,” he said. “Then he (Bregin) came out with a firearm and there was a confrontation that resulted in one of the boys being shot.”
