Machetes, BB guns among weapons found as RCMP arrest 3 teens near Portage la Prairie school | CBC News

Three teens have been arrested and charged in Portage la Prairie since Friday after they were found carrying weapons such as machetes, BB guns and bear spray near a high school, RCMP say.

On Friday, the RCMP school liaison officer at Portage Collegiate Institute was told two students at the school were known to have weapons and had been making threats to other students, but attempts to find the two were unsuccessful, a Tuesday news release says.

The officer spotted two students in a back alley near the school during a patrol on Monday morning, and officers apprehended the boys after they tried to flee on foot, the release says.

Police say one of the students, a 14-year-old boy, was carrying two machetes and two pocket knives. The other student, a 15-year-old boy, was carrying two machetes and a loaded BB gun.

Both teens are from Portage la Prairie, which is about 85 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

Both of the students were charged with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon as well as obstructing and resisting a police officer, according to police. The 15-year-old was also charged with using an imitation firearm while committing an offence.

The two teens were released from police custody with conditions, including a restriction that prohibited them from being near the school.

Later that afternoon, the school liaison officer received a report of a large group of students at the school who may have been involved in fights taking place off-campus, RCMP say.

The officer prevented a fight from happening near the school, and a 16-year-old boy was taken home by officers and told not to return to the area.

Less than an hour later, officers patrolling near the school saw a large group of youths walking on the street. A 14-year-old boy from Long Plain First Nation, who was reported to have weapons on him, was seen running up to the group, according to police.

The 14-year-old was arrested, and police say he was carrying a can of bear spray and an airsoft revolver, which looked similar to a real firearm.

‘High-risk, dangerous behaviour’

The teen has been charged with two counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon and using an imitation firearm while committing an offence, according to RCMP.

The 16-year-old previously taken home by police was also found among the large group of youths and has been charged with a breach of peace. Both the 14- and 16-year-old boys were released on conditions that prohibit them from being near the school, police say.

Insp. Paul Peddle, officer in charge of Portage la Prairie RCMP, says they will not tolerate students walking around the community and schools with weapons.

“This is high-risk, dangerous behaviour, and we need to come together as a community to address it,” Peddle said in the release.

“If you see any sort of threatening or disturbing behaviour, please report it to police immediately.”