WINNIPEG -- Winnipeg police have a man in custody after police said he was swinging a chainsaw at people.
Police said the incident started on Wednesday around 12:30 p.m., when two arborists were working in the area of the Disraeli Freeway and Lily Street.
Police said a man came up to the two arborists and started a conversation. A short time later, police said without being provoked, the man allegedly started threatening the others with a large metal disc-like object.
Officers added that he then picked up a chainsaw that the arborists had nearby and started walking around with. He eventually started the chainsaw and was waving it around.
The arborists ran to their truck and police said the man started to attack their truck with the chainsaw.
The man then went to Disraeli Freeway and he started swinging the chainsaw at passing cars and a cyclist, but police said he didn't make contact with anything.
When officers arrived, they had a brief encounter with him and he was taken into custody. No injuries were reported.
Lionel Adolph Ballantyne, 36, who is from Winnipeg, has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, theft under $5,000 and mischief under $5,000/obstructing enjoyment.
He remains in custody. The charges against him have not been proven in court.
