It was a hatchet job gone awry.

A city man wearing a hat, gloves and dark glasses tried unsuccessfully — by means of a hatchet, police said — to make an unauthorized cash withdrawal early Thursday morning from the ATM inside the lobby of Taunton Federal Credit Union’s main office at 14 Church Green.

Police at 5:15 a.m. got a call from one of two women who reportedly had just seen a man, later identified as 50-year-old Scott Michaud, striking the ATM with what appeared to be a hammer.

Michaud, with a last known address of 19 Fayette Place, allegedly walked out of the building after his encounter with the cash machine and headed toward the rear parking area.

Patrolman James Oliveira reported spotting the suspect walking down Fruit Street, and when he exited his cruiser to try asking some questions, Michaud allegedly glanced over and began walking faster.

When ordered to stop, the suspect reportedly began walking at an even quicker pace, which led Oliveira to physically block him and guide him to the rear of his cruiser.

While escorting Michaud the officer said he felt a hard object in his jacket pocket and handcuffed him as a precaution. That object, Oliveira said, turned out to have been a silver hatchet with a foot-long black handle.

Michaud reportedly nodded while his Miranda rights were being recited but refused to make a statement or identify himself. A matching Massachusetts driver’s license was found in his pocket, according to Oliveira’s report.

A computer check of the license indicated Michaud had an outstanding warrant.

A more complete pat frisk turned up a blue bag containing a pair of gloves, sunglasses, a black hat and $178 in cash, police said.

Michaud was arrested on the warrant and was also charged with malicious destruction of property over $250.

Police said they plan to review the contents of the TFCU surveillance video.

An employee of the credit union, who requested anonymity, said that trying to break into an ATM machine — especially one that’s imbedded within a wall and not a free-standing kiosk — makes "absolutely no sense."

Even if one were able to somehow break into the machine, he said, the actual cash would still be physically well out of reach.