The actions of a gunman who fired an improvised weapon in September 2017 continue to affect Saskatoon police officers and their loved ones, according to a Crown prosecutor.
During sentencing arguments on Wednesday, the Crown’s Todd Wellsch argued for a term between nine and 10 years for Mike Arcand, the man who fired shots from a homemade gun on a weekday afternoon in the downtown core.
In February, Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Jeff Kalmakoff acquitted Arcand of attempted murder but found him guilty on a lesser charge of assault with a weapon. He was also convicted of four other gun-related offences.
Under the Kienapple principle, the judge is prevented from delivering multiple convictions for a single criminal act. After staying some of the charges, Arcand will be sentenced on charges of firing a gun at a person with intent to injure and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
On the possession offence, Wellsch proposed a concurrent four-year sentence.
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Kalmakoff is scheduled to deliver his sentencing decision on May 24.
On Sept. 27, 2017, Arcand was in a parking lot near the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies in downtown Saskatoon.
Responding to a report of a man breaking into a vehicle, police found Arcand holding a so-called ‘zip gun’ – a homemade firearm that looked like a pipe.
Awake for two days on meth, Arcand attempted to run away, but was eventually subdued and arrested by officers.
“The incident had a lasting and profound impact, we would suggest, on the officers and their families,” Wellsch said.
The public nature of the crime, risk to police and civilians and that officers were targeted in the act are among the aggravating factors in the case, Wellsch said.
Victim impact statements and Arcand’s criminal record, including 37 convictions, are also considered aggravating factors.
The defence argued for a sentence of six to seven years in prison, noting the man’s upbringing that included domestic violence, substance abuse and poverty.
“He understands how the officers must have felt that day,” defence lawyer Brent Little said.
Standing in the prisoner’s box, Arcand, 35, addressed the court, police officers and the city.
“I apologize for my actions,” he said. “I know what I did is wrong.”
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