Cyclist arrested on West Broadway for hiding machete in pants

Vancouver Police were not expecting to make any arrests when they stopped a man for riding his bike on the sidewalk of West Broadway near Oak Street.

On Tuesday night, just before 9 p.m., police officers engaged a 31-year-old man in a conversation after witnessing him cycling on the sidewalk. However, his responses were of a concern to the two officers and led to a dangerous surprise.

It prompted the officers to perform a pat-down search, which revealed the man was hiding a potentially lethal item: a machete nearly two feet in length that was hidden in his pants.

“This is another example that shows how police never know who they may be dealing with, and what dangers may be waiting for them,” says VPD Constable Brian Montague in a statement. “If someone can conceal a machete, you can imagine just how easily someone can hide a variety of weapons.”

Upon further investigation, the officers discovered the man was on probation for assault, with conditions that included not possessing any weapons.

As a result, police have submitted recommendations of charges of possession of a dangerous weapon and a breach of probation order.

Feature Image: Bike lane via Shutterstock