LaSalle, Ont., police said one of their officers made an unexpected discovery early Wednesday morning — finding a man from the U.S. who allegedly was trying to illegally enter Canada by kayak.
In a news release, the LaSalle Police Service said that around 1 a.m. ET, an officer “was conducting commercial property checks in the 1800 block of Front Road,” which travels along the edge of the Detroit River.
The officer was behind one of the businesses when he spotted a man at the edge of the river with a kayak and two backpacks, LaSalle police said.
Shortly before 1:00 a.m. today, a LaSalle police officer conducting commercial property checks in the 1800 block of Front Rd observed a man at the water’s edge with 2 backpacks and kayak that was attempting to illegally enter Canada. <br>Details here: <a href=”https://t.co/UrP89QA1hf”>https://t.co/UrP89QA1hf</a> <a href=”https://t.co/FdqTOavsZ8″>pic.twitter.com/FdqTOavsZ8</a>
—@LaSallePoliceON
“The officer investigated and discovered the man was attempting to illegally enter Canada.”
Police said they detained the 51-year-old from the U.S. and turned him over to the RCMP “for further investigation.”
A local spokesperson for the federal police force, which handles border issues outside of official ports of entry, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
LaSalle police Chief Michael Pearce praised the officer’s discovery Wednesday.
“This is an outstanding example demonstrating that proactive police work can yield unintended positive outcomes,” Pearce said in the news release.
“While conducting a simple property check, I’m confident our officer did not expect to find someone trying to illegally enter Canada.”
