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ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- A man was taken into custody on suspicion of criminal damage and being armed with an offensive weapon when he allegedly went on a rage, slamming his vehicle into several others and allegedly arming himself with a machete to attack a resident in broad daylight in Road Town, Tortola, yesterday, Monday, November 11, 2019.

The man was subsequently subdued by the same person he allegedly tried to attack with the machete, Mr Eustace C. Freeman aka ‘Boss’.

This incident reportedly occurred along DeCastro Street, in the vicinity of Bobby’s Supermarket.

Man was observed driving into vehicles

It was during the busy afternoon hour when son of the soil, school teacher, businessman and leader of Showtime Band, Mr Freeman was forced to make a citizen’s arrest.

Explaining what led to the man eventually attacking him with a machete, Freeman said he noticed the man driving his vehicle in a dangerous manner in the area. “He was hitting a number of vehicles along the way. He went into a parking lot and hit a number of other vehicles.

Realising that the man was not acting normal, Mr Freeman decided to caution him.

“He hit a couple of vehicles and was on the run, he went into another area where he hit another two vehicles so I approached him and told him to stop driving, ‘obviously you endangering yourself and others so please stop driving.’”

It is alleged that the man instead sped off but returned to the scene shortly after armed with a machete and proceeded to chase after Mr Freeman.

Staying alert and out of danger, Freeman said he did his best at trying to avoid being chopped, “Until he got distracted at which point I went and got a hold of him and held him until the police arrived.”

‘A movie scene’

Several persons witnessed what one man described as a movie scene. The man said the accused is known to him, “I know the man but I can’t understand why he was acting so strange, he did not smell like alcohol, but was like he was under some kind of influence.”

The eyewitness further added, “But he also seemed to know what he was doing, he drives away after Boss talked to him and purposely came back with the chopper like he wanted blood.”

The man praised Mr Freeman for intervening and performing a citizen’s arrest. “I tell you the man was irate and he appeared as if he was ready to chop up anyone who passed by him in that moment but we all kept a fair distance and Boss overpowered him, took him down in a chokehold which weakened him and kept him there until the police arrived.”

Police Commissioner ‘grateful’

In thanking Mr Freeman for averting an incident that could have turned out even worse, Commissioner of Police Michael B. Matthews on a local news media platform, JTV News, said: “While I do not encourage the public to take unnecessary risks, there is no doubt that the prompt action taken today (Yesterday) prevented further potential harm.”

Mr Matthews added, “I am grateful to those involved in the intervention who clearly saw it as their public duty to assist in preventing crime within the community, safely handing the individual over to the custody of police officers on their arrival.”