Gunman is back out of jail

A Kamloops man who accidentally fired a handgun during a robbery in a Brocklehurst apartment, striking a neighbour sleeping in an adjacent suite, is once again free despite trying to walk away from prison.

Bradley Hartling, 35, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in 2020 after a B.C. Supreme Court jury found him guilty of armed robbery, assault with a weapon, uttering threats and three gun charges.

Hartling inadvertently fired a gun inside an apartment at 805 Holt St. in the early-morning hours of Nov. 4, 2017. He was pistol-whipping his drug dealer over a $750 debt when the gun fired accidentally.

The bullet went through a wall and struck a man sleeping in an adjacent apartment.

The man who was struck by the stray bullet said he woke up with a mysterious hole in his hand and assumed he’d cut himself on a mattress spring. He said he later found a bullet on the bed and his wife found a hole in the wall.

Hartling’s seven-year prison sentence was reduced by about two years once he was given credit for time served while awaiting trial.

He was initially released on day parole in June of 2022, but a series of slip ups saw him re-arrested multiple times. His parole was revoked in December of 2023.

Hartling remained in prison until last week, when he was released statutorily. Federal prisoners in Canada are released after serving two-thirds of their sentence to live under supervision in the community.

He was released despite some serious concerns about his behaviour while behind bars, which was described as "problematic" by the Parole Board of Canada. According to a written decision from the board, Hartling tried to walk away from the minimum-security at which he was being held.

“You have failed to follow direct orders and have been disrespectful and have required multiple correctional staff to gain compliance,” the decision reads.

“You were involuntarily transferred to a maximum-security facility and your behaviour has not changed. You continue to disregard orders and you have been involved in a physical altercation with another offender where OC spray was deployed and an impact round was utilized. You have damaged government property.”

The board imposed a number of conditions own Hartling’s release. He will be required to abstain from drugs and alcohol and to stay away from any known criminals or drug users. He will also be barred from contacting his victims or entering Kamloops city limits and required to live in an approved half-way house.

Hartling’s statutory release date was Dec. 6. His sentence will expire in July.