NEWS RELEASE WELLINGTON COUNTY OPP
(CENTRE WELLINGTON TOWNSHIP, ON) – The Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charge a local resident criminally with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
On September 8, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Wellington County OPP, alongside the OPP West Region Emergency Response Team and the OPP Canine Unit, attended a home in Fergus to assist a neighbouring police service in arresting an individual on their behalf.
Upon arrival, the individual temporarily barricaded themselves inside their residence and brandished a replica sword to police. The accused eventually surrendered without incident and was cooperative with police. For public safety, the replica swords, a replica gun (air gun) and knives were seized from the scene.
The individual was then brought to local hospital for assessment.
On September 17, 2025, when the individual was released from hospital, they were then arrested and charged under the Criminal Code with:
- Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose.
The accused is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice-Guelph on October 21, 2025.
The accused’s name is being withheld, out of concern for their well being.
The OPP would like to remind the public that the use of replica weapons to commit crimes can lead to serious consequences because they’re considered to be weapons under the Criminal Code if they’re to threaten, intimidate or commit an offence. Anyone who uses a replica weapon to commit a crime could face the same penalties under the Criminal Code as someone who uses a regular weapon.
Replica firearms are also dangerous to those who use them because officers are trained to treat armed individuals as a significant public safety risk until proven otherwise.
Full regulations and guidelines regarding replica firearms and their use can be found on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police website.
If you have any information regarding this investigation or any other incident, please call the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Should you wish to be anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington at www.csgw.tips or toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS or 8477. If your information leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
