Skip to content

Screaming man wielding axe in Langley a possible false alarm

An extensive search failed to turn up anyone running around on Walnut Grove trails
17677878_web1_170411-LAD-M-PoliceGraphic2C

Reports of a man running around with an axe and screaming in Walnut Grove on Thursday night may have been a false alarm.

At 7 p.m., Langley RCMP sent a number of officers scrambling into Walnut Grove near 86th Avenue and west of 208th Street, after a call that a man had been running around, screaming, and “apparently cutting at trees,” said Cpl. Craig Van Herk.

As well as Langley RCMP, a canine unit, an Emergency Response Team member, and the Air 1 helicopter were diverted to check out the situation, as they were all still in the area following the shots fired at a house in Willoughby at about 3 p.m. the same day.

However, patrols on the streets and park trails in the area failed to turn up any sign of the screaming axe man, and police didn’t even find any signs of damage to trees, Van Herk said.

Most residents and people out walking didn’t report seeing anyone alarming, and the only witness who saw someone with an axe said he was simply walking but not doing anything.

READ MORE: Shots ring out in Langley residential neighbourhood



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
Read more