Teen faces 2 felonies after threatening Harris supporters with machete at polling stations

A Florida teenager faces two felony charges after police say he threatened two women with a machete and engaged in voter intimidation or suppression tactics at an early voting location.

Eighteen-year-old Caleb James Williams was the only adult among a group of eight youths who arrived at the Beaches Branch Library in Neptune Beach on Tuesday afternoon with, Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael Key Jr. said, the sole intention “to protest and stand up “. the opposite political side.” That feud went from parking to an immediate “attack” on the signs, which culminated in Williams swinging a machete “in an aggressive, threatening position over the head” of two women, ages 71 and 54, Key said during a news conference.

Key did not share the political preferences of Williams and the other 16- and 17-year-olds, but the Duval County Democratic Party said the swingers were supporters of the Harris-Waltz Democratic campaign, meaning the group of men were Trump supporters. – Vance Republican Campaign.

Police, who were called to the polling station shortly after the group approached those waving signs, arrested Williams for aggravated assault of a 65-year-old and display of a dangerous weapon. The Neptune Police Department later said on Facebook that its ongoing investigation had uncovered new video footage showing Williams “committing the additional offense of intimidation or suppression of voters at a designated polling place,” leading to an additional charge criminal charges.

Other members of the male group “have not crossed the criminal threshold for criminal charges at this time,” Key said, but the investigation is ongoing.

“The group was only there with bad intentions to cause a disturbance,” Key said during a news conference. “This goes far beyond the expression of freedom of speech. To say that your peace of mind is your First Amendment right, but that goes out the window the moment you raise a machete over your head in a threatening manner.”

Williams was being held in the Duval County Jail on $55,000 bond and made his first court appearance Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. If he is released, the judge ordered him to stay 1,000 feet away from polling places unless he votes in person and that he must wear an ankle monitor, the newspaper reported.

Assault on an elderly person in Florida is punishable by a minimum of three years in prison and a maximum of 15 years. There is no minimum sentence for third-degree voter suppression or intimidation.

A Texas man was arrested last week and now faces felony charges after punching an elderly poll worker who told him to take off his “Make America Great Again” hat while he was at an early voting site. The suspect punched a 69-year-old female precinct worker in the face “several times” and was booked with third-degree assault on an elderly person.

A Scripps News/Ipsos poll last week found that 62 percent of respondents thought violence related to this election was “somewhat” or “very likely.” More than half even said they would support using the U.S. military to prevent potential threats on Election Day.