On Tuesday, police in Florida arrested an 18-year-old man with an 18-inch machete blade outside of a voting place. They said he was part of a group of teens who were allegedly intimidating Democratic voters.
Caleb James Williams, the teen, was taken after 4 p.m. when police were called to the Neptune Beach Beaches Branch Library.
Williams was arrested on charges of aggravated assault for allegedly brandishing his gun at two women, ages 71 and 54, who were not named. He was also charged with improper display of a weapon, according to Neptune Beach police.
The local Democratic party said it was “deeply concerned” about what happened on Tuesday, when a group of young men holding signs for former President Donald Trump fought with a group holding signs for Vice President Kamala Harris.
At a news conference Tuesday night, Police Chief Michael J. Key Jr. said that seven teens and an adult were found in the library parking lot.
“The investigation revealed that the group arrived to protest and antagonize the opposing political side,” said the judge.
The group went up to people waving opposing signs, and a fight broke out between them. Williams then “held a machete in an aggressive, threatening manner over his head,” Key said, adding that the police department has released a picture of the moment.
“The group was there for no other reason but for ill intentions, to cause a disturbance,” said he.
It was clear that what was done went beyond what is allowed by free speech rules, Key said.
“This goes way beyond expressing freedom of speech — to say your piece is First Amendment-protected right, but that goes out the window the moment you raise a machete over your head in a threatening manner,” he added.
The other people in the group didn’t “cross the criminal threshold,” so Key said there were no plans to arrest or charge them. However, he stressed that an investigation is still going on.
Daniel Henry, chair of the Duval County Democratic Party, praised the police for their quick reaction.
He said: “We are deeply concerned about a violent incident today at the Beaches Library, where a group of young men carrying Trump flags, with one individual armed with a machete, confronted peaceful Harris-Walz sign-wavers exercising their First Amendment rights.”
People have been told by police that the voting place and other places in the county are still safe for voters.
The Duval County GOP did not reply right away to a request for comment.
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