Accused in handgun case makes Yellowknife court appearance

Yellowknife RCMP have released the name of a man charged with wielding a handgun outside a downtown bar last weekend.

Joshua Petten, 21, was in court Tuesday and extra safety precautions were taken for his appearance.

Petten walked into court in handcuffs, which is not typical in Yellowknife courtrooms. A guard said Petten is an escape risk.

Cpl. Barry Ledoux said Petten and his 17-year-old co-accused were kicked out of the Raven Pub on 50th Street on Saturday night.

A witness called police and said they saw two men passing a handgun back and forth.

RCMP say Petten and the youthwere arrested in a "high-risk takedown" on Franklin Avenue.

Aloaded handgun, narcotics and a large amount of cashwere found with them.

"Any time you have firearms involved or people in possession of a firearm in a public place, it causes us concern," said Ledoux.

Ledoux says the pair are both from B.C. It's not clear why or how long they've been in Yellowknife.

"There's information to indicate that they had been seen at other liquor establishments throughout the community, so at this point we're tracking their movements," he said.

Both men are charged with four weapons offences and possession of a narcotic.

Petten will be back in court Wednesday.