A man in rural Manitoba is facing three gun charges after firing on four people who he allegedly caught stealing fuel from his property.The unmanned 66-year-old man in the rural municipality of Dufferin in south-central Manitoba allegedly saw a group of men stealing fuel from his property on August 15.Four men in two cars, later found to have both been stolen from Watrous, Sask., triggered a motion-activated camera on the man's property that alerted the man to the alleged thieves.He then went out to confront them and promptly fired upon their cars.After the man confronted them, one suspect fled in a stolen vehicle, but the other three stayed at the farm until the RCMP arrived and took them into custody.The RCMP alleges that multiple items suspected to have been stolen from the property were found in the back of one of the stolen trucks being used by the suspects.Of the three alleged thieves who stayed on the scene, one, a 29-year-old man, was charged with theft, mischief, trespassing, possession of stolen property, possession of break-in instruments, and failure to comply with prior release conditions. He was also charged with possession of a weapon due to being armed with a baseball bat..A 47-year-old man is charged with a similar slate of offences, and a 41-year-old woman is accused but is yet to be charged.The homeowner who fired at the vehicles has also been charged with careless use of a firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offence, and discharging a firearm in a reckless manner.The two alleged thieves remain in police custody, but the woman and the homeowner have been released.Speaking about the charges laid on the homeowner, a spokesperson for the RCMP said, in a statement to the CBC, that "Canadians may take reasonable steps to protect themselves or their property, but any force used must be reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, including the nature of the threat.""Generally speaking, property owners should prioritize their own safety during these situations and call police rather than confront intruders themselves. We recognize that having someone enter your property and steal belongings is a serious criminal offence that can have a lasting impact. However, intervening directly can create significant risks to all involved."The RCMP also stated that they are still looking for the fourth person who fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, a vehicle that was later found the next morning, ditched, in a canola field a couple kilometres away from the incident.
