MINDEMOYA—On May 22 the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrested a person in Mindemoya who had multiple arrest warrants.
On Wednesday, May 21, police were called to the Mindemoya Motel at approximately 5 pm pertaining to a disturbance involving a tenant and employee. Police learned that the tenant was wanted on numerous warrants and there was information he was in possession of a gun.
“He didn’t cooperate, and sometimes they make noise when people are sleeping and cause a disturbance,” said the owner of the business. “So, I called the police.”
“Everything is over now, the police took the guy out of the building and everything is safe and sound again on my property,” said the owner of MIndemoya Motel.
The OPP’s Emergency Team (ERT), Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU) and Canine team assisted, and the person was safely arrested on the morning of Thursday, May 22. Fortunately, no one sustained injuries in the incident.
Calvin Briffett, 63, of Elliot Lake was charged with unauthorized possession of weapon, two counts of failure to comply with undertaking and failure to comply with probation order. He was scheduled to appear before the Ontario bail court in Little Current on May 23.
The accused had an arrest warrant from East Algoma OPP for three counts of failing to attend court and failing to comply with an undertaking. In addition, there was another warrant from Manitoulin OPP for two counts of operation (of a vehicle) while prohibited.
Previously, in May 2022 Mr. Briffett was arrested by officers of the East Algoma OPP after they were called to a dispute at a residence in Elliot Lake. The complainant reported two people in the front yard were arguing and one person, Mr. Briffett, had a bat in their hand. The argument escalated when the person with the bat struck the other person in the leg and then fled the scene in a pickup truck. After investigation, it was learned that additional property was also damaged during the argument. Mr. Briffett, 60 at the time, was later arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, break, enter a place, and mischief under $5,000.
And in November 2020, Mr. Briffett, then 59, was charged with operating a vehicle while prohibited. Police had observed a pickup truck come to a stop on Ontario Avenue in Elliot Lake within the live lane of traffic. The truck eventually made a turn into a parking lot, reported the police, but it was learned the driver did not have a driver’s licence and was in fact prohibited to driver as a result of prior offences.
