WINNIPEG — An Ontario man is facing charges after police say he doused himself in lighter fluid and wielded a baseball bat after allegedly consuming methamphetamine.
Officers were called to the 900 block of Empress Street Tuesday afternoon for a report of a man acting erratically with a baseball bat. The same man then entered a business in the 1300 block of Ellice Avenue before police arrived.
While still armed with the bat, police say the man covered himself in lighter fluid while motioning with a lighter that he would ignite it. Officers spent 25 minutes trying to convince him to put down the weapon, but weren’t successful.
Police say the man consumed a substance he said was meth and asked officers to shoot him.
The tactical support team was able to use a less-than-lethal projectile to safely take the man into custody. The man wasn’t injured, but was taken to hospital related to possible drug intoxication.
The 31-year-old Thunder Bay man has been charged with possession of a weapon and mischief under $5,000. He remains in custody.
