OLDS - A 19-year-old Olds resident charged after allegedly pointing an imitation firearm at a film production set of The Last of Us series in Olds in June 2022 has been found not guilty on all charges today.
Reece Wadden, 19, faced charges of mischief, possession of an imitation weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, and use of an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence.
Wadden’s trial in Calgary provincial court before Justice Brian Stevenson got underway in March with the decision coming on April 4.
Wadden was arrested and charged after a film crew member observed someone pointing what appeared to be a firearm out of a second-storey window adjacent to the film set on 51st Street.
Crown prosector Alyx Nanji had argued that Wadden had “specific intent to cause mischief, based on actually using the imitation firearm, and his actions and inactions afterwards.”
Nanji described the imitation firearm as a BB gun that resembles an “AR-15-style firearm.”
In a statement given to the Albertan following the April 4 decision, Nanji said: "We are reviewing the decision to determine next steps. Given that there is a possibility of appeal, we cannot comment further at this time."
A production crew filming scenes for the HBO TV series had been working on 51st Street and in the alleys between 51st Street and 52nd Street in Olds in late May 2022. Scenes for the series were scheduled to be shot in the area May 31 and June 1.
