The Taber Police Service responded to reports of a masked man with a large machete yesterday (May 2).

Police got the call at around 9 a.m. and cordoned off the area where the man was last seen. Local schools were placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution.

According to police, the suspect dropped the machete when officers asked but fled on foot after.

The RCMP Canine Unit was utilized to locate the man, who was found hiding in a backyard.

20-year-old George Gregory Kibble of No Fixed Address, who initially gave police a false name, is facing the following charges:

-Possess Weapon Dangerous to the Public 
-Personation 
-Obstruction
-Mischief X2
-Fail to Comply With a Release Order X2 
-Fail to Comply With an Undertaking

He's been remanded into custody to appear in Lethbridge court on May 3, 2023.