Pedestrians along a commercial area of Tranquille Road noticed a disquieting scene Saturday night that prompted calls to police.

A man, described as agitated, was reported to be walking down the busy road, carrying a machete on his hip around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

When police approached him, "he stated he was carrying it for self-defence and felt it was OK to be carrying it," said Sgt. Dave Prentice.

Although it's not illegal to carry a machete, it could lead to charges depending on intention.

The suspect didn't threaten anyone with the large knife, but police determined the man should be detained.

"He was arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon and taken into custody without incident," said Prentice.

He wasn't in jail long, however, before he began complaining about an undisclosed medical issue and police took him to hospital.

Although Prentice said the man's mental state was not determined, he said police calls increasingly involve mental-health related issues rather than obvious crimes.

"Anecdotally, there seems to be an increase in calls to deal with people who are having mental medical issues. Not to say that's the case with this fellow here," he said.

"It's often not a criminal matter, but their behaviour is such that it attracts attention and we're the logical first person to call."