JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — A man allegedly wielding a hatchet was arrested in a flood zone Sunday afternoon and charged with aggravated assault, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) reports.

A release from the WCSO said Michael Ray Rose, 50, was arrested following the incident, which took place on Taylor Bridge Road.

A heavy equipment operator was reportedly clearing flood debris in the 300 block of Taylor Bridge Road just before 4 p.m. Sunday when Rose approached him while holding a hatchet. “Once the victim saw the weapon, he retreated back to his machinery for safety,” the release states.

Deputies arrived and located Rose, who claimed he was “trying to see what was going on” in the area. The hatchet was found in Rose’s possession, the release said. Rose was arrested and transported to the Washington County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond, the WCSO reports.