Two men allegedly being chased in separate incidents now have court dates hot on their heels. 

On June 27 at 10 p.m., the Salmon Arm RCMP received a call from a woman reporting someone using a chainsaw and appeared to be cutting a fence at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and 5th Street SW. Officers responded and located a man who is known to police. 

"The man claimed he was being chased by a group of people wearing masks, and that he cut a tree down to block them," Const. Andrew Hodges said in a media release. "Police located a fallen tree partially laying on the Trans-Canada Highway."

Police seized the chainsaw and arrested the man for mischief but later released him with a future court date. Officers then removed the downed tree from the highway.

The second incident occurred on July 2 at 8:30 a.m. when a woman reported a break-and-enter that had occurred the previous night at a business on the Trans-Canada. 

Officers attended and were shown a broken window and surveillance footage of a man in the area around 1 a.m. They left with a report, and approximately 30 minutes later, the suspect returned to the business.

"Police were immediately advised and returned and arrested the man," Hodges said in the release. "The man admitted to entering the building because he was being chased and needed to charge his phone."

The man was later released with a future court date, and the file has been submitted to BC Prosecution for charge assessment.