Executing a search warrant on Jan. 13 in the 1900 block of Bernard Road, officers seized five firearms, a set of brass knuckles — and an M72 rocket launcher. The latter had been fired and there was no ammunition to go with the single-use weapon designed for military use to destroy tanks in close-range combat.
Also seized by the DIGS unit were two shotguns — a Winchester Super X-Pump 12-gauge and a Beretta Model A303; as well as a Browning BAR Mark II Safari .30-06 rifle; EKOL Jackal Dual 9mm Blank handgun; and a Crosman .177-calibre pellet revolver.
Wilfred St. Jean has been charged with 18 counts, including possession of prohibited and restricted weapons; possession of a firearm obtained by crime; possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number; five counts for possession of firearms while prohibited; and three counts of failure to comply with a release order.
James St. Jean is charged with 15 counts, all the same as Wilfred except for the three additional counts of failure to comply with a release order.
The M72 series of disposable, single-shot rocket launchers is a common military weapon found in war zones around the globe.
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Last March, Canada committed to supplying Ukraine with 4,500 M72 LAW (Light Anti-armour Weapon) rocket launchers in its defence against Russian invaders. With a firing range of 10 to 200 metres, the M72 is designed for close-range combat and is equipped with a warhead its manufacturer claims can pierce through 300 millimetres of armour.
Firearms, often linked to the illegal drug trade, are frequently the subject of Windsor police investigations. Windsor’s most recent murder victim, Daniel Squalls, 24, was shot and killed in a city residential area on Nov. 28.
Rocket launchers, however, are weapons not normally seen on the streets of any North American city.
