Saskatoon hate crime unit investigating after man allegedly tried to sever church gas line with axe

The Saskatoon Police Service says its hate crime unit is investigating after a man allegedly tried to sever the gas line of a church using an axe.

According to police, the man was seen striking the gas line outside of the Westside Pentecostal Church on Fairlight Drive at around 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.

“When officers arrived at the scene the man had fled,” the police force said in a statement.

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“Fortunately attempts to sever the line were not successful and no one was injured.”

Police said the man was described as 25-35 years old, with a dark goatee. He was wearing a black, hooded jacket, grey sweatpants and black running shoes at the time of the alleged incident.

The police force said its hate crime unit is assisting with the investigation “due to the fact the incident occurred at a religious gathering place.”

Lead pastor of the church, Rob Shepherd, said it was fortunate that nothing serious happened but the incident is still concerning.

“We don’t know who the person in the neighborhood who intervened but we’re thankful to them,” Shepherd said, noting he was grateful for the emergency crews and police for their quick response.

“We are concerned for the safety of the church and for other churches in the city as well,” he added.

Shepherd said he is now considering the addition of safety measures like cameras and a protective cage around the gas line and meter.

While vandalism and broken windows are not uncommon for the church, Shepherd said “we’ve never had anyone try to do arson.”

In response to the investigation done by the hate crime unit, Shepherd said “I don’t know why the person was doing what but I mean there have been churches burnt down across the country here the last few years.”

“We don’t know of any reason why anybody would target our church so we don’t want to jump to conclusions,” Shepherd said.

Anyone with information that could help further the investigation was asked to contact police or make a report anonymously through Crime Stoppers.