A Whitby man is facing charges after it was reported that he was "swinging a machete at his neighbour," police said.
Durham Regional Police were called to a townhouse in the area of Thickson and Taunton Roads at approximately 2 p.m. on Saturday.
A female resident of the townhouse said she was cleaning a rug that was draped over a shared railing when her male neighbour confronted her. She told police he demanded she remove the rug.
Police said he then got a machete out of his van and approached the woman.
"He swung the machete at her, narrowly missing her arm," police said in a statement on Monday.
Officers arrested a suspect and recovered the machete. Police said an investigation revealed that the incident was part of a "long standing dispute."
As a result, a 60-year-old man has been charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon and threatening bodily harm. His name has not been released to protect the identity of the victim, police said.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with more information is asked to contact police at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 1829, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
