(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

A 37-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting at police and the Vanderhoof RCMP station two years ago.

No one was injured in the shooting, but he fired several rounds through the walls of the detachment and three police vehicles in the middle of a November day, sending several flying past work stations and endangering the lives of people working in the building.

Hunting and firearms enthusiast Paul Nicholas Russell was sentenced in a Prince George courtroom earlier this month, nearly two years after the incident.

It all went down Nov. 25, 2021 when, instead of getting food while on a lunch break from work, Russell instead went home to change out of his work clothes and put on a disguise. That included donning a fedora and sunglasses, according to a recently published decision.

Around noon, he pulled up to the detachment in his pickup truck where he began unloading his rifle into the building and two RCMP vehicles in the parking lot, all without getting out of the truck. He drove away, but returned about five minutes later, ramming his truck into an RCMP Highway Patrol vehicle. He shot that one several times, then again shot at the detachment of the small town 100 kms west of Prince George.

READ MORE: BC expands spec tax to include Kamloops and most of the Okanagan

Two other RCMP detachments were alerted, schools were put on lockdown and cell phones across Vanderhoof buzzed with an emergency alert about the shooter who had unloaded 19 rounds at police.

He was spotted around 30 minutes later, leading police on a chase as he fled back into town then toward Prince George. Shortly after ramming an oncoming RCMP cruiser on Highway 16 that tried to block his path, he was taken into without any further incident, according to the decision.

Justice Francesca Mazari noted his motive was unclear, but the court did hear evidence that Russell was experiencing mental breaks and psychotic episodes in the weeks ahead of the shooting. He was hospitalized at least once and prescribed medications before the incident.

"He was also drinking heavily, and perceiving threats and conspiracies that were not real," Mazari said.

A diagnosis for his condition wasn't brought before the court.

She said his family's description of Russell suggested he generally "respected and admired" police, while he also "identified" himself with military structures, specifically the Rocky Mountain Rangers. Russell owns at least 20 guns, although he was never a member of the military, according to Mazari's decision.

READ MORE: Vernon hockey coach appeals sexual assault conviction of former player

She said not only was the attack planned, but it was "retaliatory" with an unspecified "political motive." After his arrest, Russell told a psychiatrist he went after police for "all the stuff going on in Canada." He said the "cops piss (him) off, so (he) started shooting at them."

Russell said he was their "perfect nightmare" as he "used them like target practice," but he also told the psychiatrist he didn't want to harm anyone, according to the decision.

Mazari said it was a matter of luck that no one was shot, while also commending the "admirable restraint" of the officers who chased Russell afterward and still did not injure him.

Although no one was physically harmed in the shooting, Mazari noted at least one officer has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

By the time Mazari gave her decision, Russell had spent roughly two years in custody. His defence argued he should get time-served, followed by two years of probation.

Russell's defence noted it was his first offence and he was struggling with mental illness.

The Crown, however, sought between 10 and 12 years, where Mazari ultimately sided.

His ten-year sentence also included a lifetime firearms ban.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2023