A former gang member helping youth steer away from crime said he was chased and attacked by a group of suspects as a reaction to his anti-gang culinary project.

Robert Bear Rodericks, who started a project called ‘The Ghetto Chef’, said he was walking to his girlfriend’s apartment on St. Matthews Avenue Tuesday night when he heard someone call out his name.

Moments later, he said the group chased him behind the front door of the building with weapons, including an axe.

“We were standing there watching them smash the windows,” Rodericks said.

“One guy was yelling at me to leave the kids alone.”

Winnipeg police said it received a call about the incident around 11:00 p.m. Officers said Rodericks advised them he did not want police assistance, and the attack was random.

“An adult male who also claimed to be chased by these people was arrested on several unrelated warrants. Suspects have not been identified. The report has been forwarded to Major Crimes for follow up,” Const. Tammy Skrabek said in an email to CTV News.

Winnipeg police also said officers viewed video of Rodericks being agitated behind the apartment door, yelling and giving the suspects the middle finger, followed by the window being smashed.

Rodericks said he was motivated to leave the ‘Red Line Affiliate’ gang and turn his life around when his daughter was born eight years ago.

He went to culinary school and for the past month has been helping share his skills with youth in Winnipeg at a kitchen in Wolseley.

“I just found a few [youth], late night strolls, going to 7-Eleven, ran into some kids who had weapons. They knew who I was, and quickly engaged in a conversation. They told me why they were carrying that weapon. Other kids were carrying weapons after them,” he said.

Rodericks said he expected to encounter some opposition to his work in the community, and believes the window smashing event is connected to his anti-gang culinary work.

“You’re taking kids away from these gangs, and that’s what gangs thrive on. They get these kids selling drugs, doing the work,” he said

“I was terrified for my life, absolutely terrified to the point I was actually thinking of quitting with the Ghetto Chef stuff until I was just sitting there thinking, 'if I quit, then they won'," he said.

The Dauphin native said leaving a gang is very difficult and it took him several years. Rodericks said there were times he couldn’t figure out how to keep working and found himself homeless.

“You’re constantly trying to walk away from selling drugs. You’re walking from the party lifestyle, you’re walking from everything you know,” he said.

Rodericks said he was enticed join a gang to gain acceptance and power.

“You feel like you’re entitled to some power. When you’re entitled to that kind of power as a young kid, the things you’re absolutely willing to do is scary, like robbing people, beating people up, kicking in doors to go after people, smashing windows to go after people. It’s a never ending cycle.”