Photo: Jennifer Zielinski

Three men are in custody after drunken shenanigans in Ben Lee Park landed them in cuffs.

The men were reportedly drinking beer in the park just after 8 a.m. Thursday when they were interrupted by a groundskeeper mowing the lawn.

The groundskeeper says the men became agitated by his presence and threw a beer can in front of his mower.

The groundskeeper got out of the mower to pick up the can, not wanting to leave shredded aluminum all over the grass. At that point, one man jumped him, while the other climbed in the mower and took off.

The drunk behind the wheel smashed the mower into two trees moments later.

A fight then broke out among the three men and the groundskeeper. According to the groundskeeper, who asked to remain anonymous, one of the men nearly struck him in the head with a rock.

With the fight in full swing, colleagues quickly ran to his defence. With their help, park maintenance staff were able to call 911 and hold down two of the suspects until police arrived.

The third suspect ran off on foot. However, police quickly located him nearby.

While the ages and identities of the culprits are unknown, a groundskeeper says one of the men claimed to be 17, while RCMP Cpl. Joe Duncan reports the first man booked into the detachment cells was 31.

RCMP are still on the scene and investigating. Duncan says it is too early to know whether charges will be laid.

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Photo: Jennifer Zielinski