A 28-year-old man has been charged with firearms-related offences after Halifax police allege he had a gun when they found him drunk early this morning after possibly falling out of a tree.

Halifax Regional Police said the man was found lying unconscious on the ground near an apartment building on Primrose Street in Dartmouth just after 3:30 a.m.

Police said in a news release he was intoxicated and allege he had a rifle in a knapsack. Police initially said they believed he fell from a tree and knocked himself out, but later said they couldn't confirm if that was indeed the case.

He was wearing a balaclava when officers found him, according to police. They said the gun was not loaded but there was ammunition in the man's bag.

Previous convictions

Police have charged Brendan Carter with a series of gun-related offences, including unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Carter has 12 previous criminal convictions, including eight in 2011 after a shotgun was fired and a man shot in a Highfield Park apartment. Among those charges were criminal negligence causing bodily harm, assault, uttering threats and misleading police.

Last year, he was convicted of two counts of assaulting a peace officer and resisting arrest.

Carter is expected to appear in Dartmouth provincial court some time today in connection with this morning's arrest.

'Really scary'

Lisa Cormier lives on Primrose Street and heard sirens early this morning.

"It's definitely not good around this neighbourhood to have ammunition, let alone a weapon," said Cormier, who moved to the area this summer.

"It's not a very safe environment as far as I'm concerned, and I know people have been beat up. There's been other things going on around here. It is a bad neighbourhood."

Kim Young, who also lives in the area, said the neighbourhood needs to be cleaned up.

"It happens a lot in this neighbourhood, in the area, but knowing that this guy had a gun — it's really scary."