Man, 21, charged after N.S. RCMP seizes beer cans, loaded gun from vehicle

A RCMP vehicle is pictured on July 3, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Callum Smith)

A 21-year-old man has been charged with impaired driving after police say they found beer cans and a loaded shotgun in a vehicle near Lunenburg, N.S.

Lunenburg RCMP officers were on patrol when they found a vehicle stopped on Highway 12 in Seffernsville around 1:50 a.m. on June 28. When the officers checked the vehicle, which was running, they found two people asleep inside.

Police say the officers spotted beer cans and a firearm inside the vehicle. They arrested the driver and passenger and seized the shotgun, which was loaded.

The driver was taken to the Lunenburg RCMP Detachment, where police say he provided breath samples that registered 150mg% and 140 mg%.

Kegan Melvin, 21, of Martins Point and Hunter Rafuse, 21, of Bridgewater have each been charged with the following:

• unsafe storage of a firearm
• unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle

Melvin is also charged with impaired operation of a conveyance.

“We all know the safety risks that come with impaired driving, and adding a firearm to this situation made it much more dangerous,” said Staff Sgt. Dave Ferguson, commander of the Lunenburg District RCMP, in a news release.

“Public safety was the main priority for the officers involved, from the initial check on the vehicle’s occupants to safely seizing the firearm and preventing the driver from continuing to operate the car while impaired.”

Both men were released from custody and are due to appear in Bridgewater provincial court at a later date.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page