Airport closed for safety reasons

A Pond Inlet man faces a long list of charges following a wild shooting spree this past weekend that resulted in the temporary closing of the Pond Inlet airport.

Police say that at about 12:45 a.m. June 5, a man in Pond Inlet fired a rifle shot at an RCMP officer driving a marked police vehicle.

The police officer, who was not injured, took cover. Meanwhile, the gunman fired more shots from his housing unit, which is located near the Pond Inlet airport.

For safety reasons, the airport was closed to all air traffic.

The man barricaded himself into his house until about 10 a.m., when police arrested him.

Jacopie Maktar, 39, of Pond Inlet, is charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, unsafe storage of ammunition, uttering threats and interference with the operation of the Pond Inlet air navigation facility.

Maktar was to have appeared in court June 8.