A man was arrested yesterday on an isolated rural residence, 22kms west of Didsbury, after Didsbury RCMP received an urgent 911 call from a 49 year-old woman on the property.

The woman advised police that a domestic argument with her intoxicated 56 year-old common-law husband had turned violent, after he grabbed a small calibre rifle and threatened her with murder-suicide. He repeated the threat while she was on the phone with police, but she managed to flee her home and hide inside an outbuilding until police arrived.

They surrounded the residence and the man voluntarily surrendered, was arrested and transported back to Didsbury detachment. Officers searched the property and subsequently seized four rifles and ammunition.

The man now faces up to 16 criminal charges including forcible confinement, intimidation, assault with a weapon, and uttering death threats. A bail hearing and court date are yet to be set in the case.