On July 6, 2020 at approximately 11:15 a.m., Whitehorse RCMP officers were dispatched to a report of a man walking on 2nd Avenue carrying an axe, swinging it around, hitting property and uttering threats at individuals on the street.
Officers immediately attended to the area and found the man in Rotary Park, still swinging the axe at random and appeared to be agitated. Given the number of individuals at the park and along 2nd Avenue, the incident was treated as high risk for public safety and the officers approached the man with extreme caution. One officer raised his Conducted Energy Weapon and another drew his service pistol, neither of whom had to use their intervention options.
The man eventually threw the axe away but did not comply with police commands and instead walked away. The officers were able to safely arrest the man, after a brief struggle.
Paul Fraughton, 33, has been charged with the following offences:
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
- Mischief to property not exceeding $5000 ;
- Resisting lawful arrest;
- Failing to comply with the conditions of his probation order.
The Whitehorse RCMP was made aware that a photo of the arrest at the park was captured and is circulating on social media.
Superintendent Chan Daktari Dara, Criminal Operations Officer for the Yukon RCMP says, "Police officers respond to incidents with the potential for violence and volatility. Incidents like these, which involve police intervention, are dynamic and constantly evolving, oftentimes in a highly-charged atmosphere. The man in question was arrested unharmed, after a brief struggle. Our officers used their best judgement in making this arrest, given the situation and with the number of individuals in the area that could have potentially been in harm's way."
The investigation is still ongoing and anyone who have not spoken to police and witnessed the incident at the park, or leading up to it is asked to call the Whitehorse RCMP at 867-667-5551.