By Jim Clark

Police were summoned to a Perkins St. location last Thursday on reports that a man was pulling branches off of a newly planted tree.

Upon arrival, officers were met by the reporting party who immediately directed them to the man who was allegedly trying to destroy the tree.

When questioned by the officers, the man, Siu Fai Ip, 61, reportedly told them that he did not want the tree in front of his house because it would cause water to get into his basement, police said.

When the officers advised Ip that he could not destroy the tree because he does not want it he reportedly responded by pointing to the remains of the damaged tree and said, “No tree.”

The officers advised Ip that they would be summoning him to court to answer for his actions in harming the tree and that he could cause no more injury to it he reportedly said to the, “I cut it down.”

The officers determined that they had no choice but to place Ip under arrest for destruction of property over $250.

The tree, which had recently been planted by the Department of Public Works, had a value of $800.

The reporting party supplied the officers with a photo showing Ip in the act of tearing down the branches. He described how he observed Ip as he jumped up to grab branches of the tree, according to police reports.