A 31-year-old man has been charged in connection with an armed robbery that occurred in Watson Lake in May 2025, the RCMP said in a news release.
The Yukon RCMP told the News that Payton Semple is alleged to have pointed the compact, shortened rifle that police would later seize at an individual and assaulted them, causing injuries that required hospital treatment. Semple is also accused of stealing property from the victim during the incident.
Semple was arrested on June 4 and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, pointing a firearm, robbery with a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. He was remanded into custody and appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on June 5. He is scheduled to appear in court in Whitehorse later this month.
Following his arrest, police executed a search warrant at a residence on June 5, where they seized ammunition, quantities of suspected controlled substances including cocaine and a modified small-calibre firearm classified as prohibited.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
