SUNDRE — A man who last fall was allegedly wielding a machete when he told a family he was hunting humans has a court date coming up in June.
On Sept. 18, 2020, the Sundre RCMP detachment received a complaint just before 9 p.m. regarding a machete-wielding man who allegedly threatened a family that had driven out to camp along Forestry Trunk Road, said Cpl. Resus Organ, the department’s acting commander.
The encounter, said the corporal during an interview as he reviewed notes from the police file on the incident, occurred out of cell phone service about five or six kilometres south of the former Mountain Aire Lodge.
The caller reportedly informed police their family had been heading out into the west country to camp when the male approached brandishing a machete and allegedly said that he hunts humans, Resus told The Albertan.
The RCMP subsequently conducted a search of the area and were able to find and identify the suspect, who had no prior police history and was not suspected of being under the influence of any substances, he said.
“He was camping in the area. He didn’t make much sense, but he didn’t appear to be a threat. So, we talked to him (and) he settled down for the night,” said Resus, adding the male, who was exhibiting signs of mental health issues, was not initially arrested.
Upon returning within cell service range, the corporal said police followed up with the complainants, who wanted to press charges.
Members from the Rocky Mountain House RCMP ended up picking up the accused the following day. Owain Wyn Jones, 53, faces numerous charges, including four counts of assault with a weapon, four counts of intimidation, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, he said.
A charge of assault with a weapon does not necessarily require the weapon actually being physically used against someone, but can include the mere threat of use, the corporal explained.
“It means that you have the weapon in hand, so you have the ability, you have the intent and you have the means to do so,” he said, adding threats can be construed as an assault.
Had the weapon actually been used to attack the victims, the charge would be upgraded either to aggravated assault or possibly even attempted murder, depending on where the victim might have been struck. In certain situations, the courts can also order a mental health examination, he said.
"The accused has been remanded for a fitness hearing," said a communications advisor with the Alberta government's Justice and Solicitor General last week in response to an email inquiry.
Jones has been, according to information provided by Alberta’s media court check email inquiry service, scheduled for election and plea in Calgary provincial court on June 4.
Asked what advise police offer members of the public who might experience similar encounters, which are rare, Organ urges people to de-escalate by walking away from or leaving the area and reporting the incident to authorities as soon as possible.
“People carry bear spray for protecting themselves against other people. Well, bear spray is meant for bears,” he said.
“If you’re carrying something for a weapon to use for game, you’d just be charged yourself. You’re not the police. Get whatever information that you can, and back away.”
Since recreating in the back country often means being out of cell service, he also encourages people to let others know where they’re going and when they expect to return.
