Police dog helps arrest three men after shots fired near Athol Street

A police dog helped officers track down and arrest three men who allegedly fired off gunshots near Athol Street early Thursday morning.

One of the bullets struck a house and ended up lodged in a kitchen wall, police said.

Police were called at about 2 a.m. for a report of gunshots fired near the 1300 block of Athol Street. Officers spotted a man who matched a description given by the caller, but the man ran away before he could be arrested.

A police dog was brought in to try and track him down, police said, and while the dog wasn’t able to find the suspect, the officers did find a backpack with a sawed-off shotgun inside.

“Officers then heard more gunshots and, with the assistance of a Canine team, were able to locate and arrest three adult males in the area of the 1300 blocks of Athol and Montague Street(s),” Regina police said in a statement.

“One male sustained a dog-bite injury.”

A second police dog team helped officers track down more evidence, which police said included firearms.

“Officers also found a bullet that had struck a residence in the 1300 block of Athol Street, travelling through the exterior wall, and through the kitchen, lodging in the kitchen wall,” police said.

All three of the suspects – aged 19, 21 and 21 – were jointly charged with recklessly discharging a firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, police said. All three appeared in provincial court Friday.