RCMP release:

Lunenburg District RCMP has concluded its investigation of a firearms complaint following a multi-unit response to reports of a man carrying a rifle.

Just after 7:30 a.m. today, Lunenburg District RCMP received multiple calls about a man with a firearm in the 3000-block of Barss Corner Rd. in Parkdale.

Officers responded immediately and, in the interest of public safety, a civil emergency alert was issued for Lunenburg County via Alert Ready.

The man, a 48-year-old from Parkdale, was identified and safely arrested.

After extensive investigation and a search of the man’s property, officers determined that no firearm was involved, and the man had been holding a large gardening tool, which from a distance, could have been mistaken for a firearm.

The man was released without charge.