An imitation firearm prompted a very real police response downtown Thursday morning.
Just before 10:30 a.m. an employee of a business on Wyndham Street North reported a male with whom he had a previous interaction had walked by while looking at him and holding what the caller believed to be a real firearm.
Several officers responded and less than five minutes later located the suspect walking on Wyndham Street North near Woolwich Street. Believing he could be in possession of a firearm officers ordered the male to the ground at gunpoint. A black and silver imitation firearm was located on his person.
During the search officers also located two Canadian passports believed to be stolen.
A 35-year-old Guelph man is charged with assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and two counts of possessing stolen identity documents. The man was also found to be wanted by another police service and was turned over on the outstanding warrant. He will appear in court on the Guelph charges May 21.