Machete-wielding man terrorizes occupants of car

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It was like a scene from a horror movie: a machete-wielding man appears out of nowhere and charges at a vehicle on a dark city street.

But that was reality for a 23-year-old motorist and his two passengers as they were driving home from work Monday night.

“When it first happened, I was pretty shaken up,” the driver, who does not want to be identified for safety reasons, told the Free Press Wednesday. “I had two passengers, both co-workers, and they were both shaken up a little bit, too.”

The man was driving on King Edward Street near Hunt Avenue in Tyndall Park when the suspect suddenly appeared, charged at his vehicle and jumped on the hood.

“At first, I thought he was just a random pedestrian jaywalking,” the victim said. “I didn’t notice his machete until I started backing up. I thought he may have been mad that I didn’t slow down fast enough while he was crossing.”

Video from the driver’s dashcam has been making the rounds on social media.

“The victim backed away to create space, and the suspect appeared to leave the roadway,” Winnipeg police Const. Stephen Spencer said in an email. “As the victim proceeded northbound again, the suspect re-entered the roadway and jumped on the hood of the victim’s vehicle, causing minor damage.”

The victim said he tried to swerve to avoid the man.

“It was like he was trying to take on my car,” he said. “And we were like, ‘Holy s—t, we just hit that guy.’”

The victim said they drove to safety before calling 911, and watched the suspect from a distance before police arrived.

“I felt relieved when I saw him get up a couple of times,” the victim said.

Police said a 24-year-old man has been charged with possession of a weapon and was released on an undertaking.

Crimes related to machetes have jumped in Winnipeg, with knife crimes rising 21.6 per cent in 2023 over the previous year.

The province introduced new legislation at the start of the year, requiring a person to be 18 and have valid photo identification to purchase machetes and other long-blade weapons. Retailers must keep the knives away from shoppers, accessible only with assistance.

Police said Thursday it’s still too early to draw any clear conclusions about the impact of the legislation.

“While officers continue to encounter edged weapons in various incidents, analyzing trends requires more time to assess whether the new restrictions on machete sales are having a measurable effect,” a spokesperson said.

Anmol Garg took machetes off the sales floor at Bargains and More on Selkirk Avenue in late October in anticipation of the incoming legislation.

He said Thursday he hasn’t returned to selling the items and only offers smaller blades, such as pocket knives.

“People came in for about two weeks asking for machetes, and then they stopped,” he said.

A store manager at Bianca Amor, a large liquidation store on St. James Street, said Thursday sales have been slower since the new laws came into effect.

The store, which has outlets across Canada, advertises machetes for as low as $14 in its latest ad posted to their website.

Those items are behind lock and key.

Retailers are required to keep buyer’s information for at least two years.

The province said Thursday there are some early signs of success.

“Large retailers have worked well with us to implement this, and have gone through the list to ensure they’re complying with the regulations,” Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said.

The hope is for a decline in machete-related incidents similar to bear spray attacks, which dropped 25 per cent after similar legislation went into effect in April 2023.

City police reported a record high of 1,182 bear-spray incidents in 2022, with that number dropping sharply to 893 in 2023.

Meanwhile, police said the best thing motorists can do in a similar situation is create distance, if possible, remain in their vehicle with the doors locked and call 911.

Police also warned against drivers taking matters into their own hands.

“Using a vehicle as a weapon can have serious legal consequences,” Spencer said.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca