Man brandishes machete with Trump supporters at Florida polling station, police say
An 18-year-old Florida man was in custody Tuesday after he wielded a machete at a Florida polling station, in an apparent attempt to harass voters who did not share his political views, police said. The man came with a group to the polling site to demonstrate support for former President Donald Trump, authorities said.
Caleb Williams is charged with aggravated assault on a person 65 years of age or older and improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon for his alleged role in the incident, said Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael Key at a news conference. The Neptune Beach Police Department on Wednesday announced an additional charge against Williams for voter intimidation or suppression, after they received new video footage from the polling site.
"During the course of the on-going investigation, we have received new video footage which depicts the suspect committing an additional crime of voter intimidation or suppression within the designated voting location," the police department said in a statement. "As such, one felony of the third-degree count of Voter Intimidation or Suppression was added to the suspect's charges today. This remains an open investigation."
The incident happened at around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of Beaches Branch Library, which operated as an early voting facility ahead of the Nov. 5 election, the police chief said. Williams arrived at the property with a group of teenagers who traveled to the polling location "to protest and antagonize the opposing political side," Key said. Seven other people in the group were about 16 or 17 years old, with Williams being the only adult.
The situation escalated when Williams "brandished a machete in an aggressive, threatening posture over his head," according to police. He faced two people, a 71-year-old woman and a 54-year-old woman, as he held the weapon, police said.
The women called police out of fear, Key said, adding, "to say I'm disturbed in an understatement."
"The group was there for no other reason but for ill intentions, to cause a disturbance. This is not an incident of solely a First Amendment protected right, but one where they were simply there to cause a ruckus," said the police chief. "Voting in our country is one of the most sacred and protected rights we have. Ensuring everyone's right to vote is crucial and it will not be impeded."
The Neptune Beach Police Department shared an image on its Facebook page showing Williams holding the machete above his head in the parking lot, along with another image of the weapon itself. They also posted his booking photo from the Duval County jail.
Williams remained in jail Wednesday morning, CBS affiliate WJAX-TV reported. The station also published video recorded at the site of the incident, which showed the group of teenagers holding flags and signs supporting Trump's reelection campaign, and chanting Trump's name. Williams in the video appeared to have speared one of the flags with his machete, and waved it in the air attached to the end of his weapon.
