PALM COAST, Fla. – A 43-year-old man was arrested Wednesday and accused of threatening workers of a stormwater inspection and maintenance company with a machete in Palm Coast.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, workers told deputies the man was upset because they blocked the road temporarily while backing one of their vehicles up and didn’t have signs posted.
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However, deputies said they did notice several signs posted about workers present along the road, near the intersection of Belle Terre Parkway and Kaywood Place.
The workers told deputies the man drove around their worksite, then stopped his truck and got out of the truck yelling, “I’m going to chop some b*****s up,” while walking toward them with a machete, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said one of the workers told them he feared for his life and ran to a wooded area to avoid the man. The crew also said the man got back into his car and sped off after seeing traffic starting to back up along the road.
Deputies found the man approximately 3 miles away on Zerington Court, and said that when questioned, he admitted to having several machetes in his truck. Deputies also saw a machete on the dashboard.
According to officials, the man told deputies he was stopped by “some guys,” and he was upset there were no signs, at which point he got out of his truck and began to argue with them.
The man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
“This man threatened several workers with a machete because he was inconvenienced,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This guy became unhinged when he got out and confronted the workers just doing their jobs. If he had waited patiently, he would not have visited the Green Roof Inn. Take a deep and be patient. That’s better than getting arrested because you couldn’t control your anger.”
The sheriff’s office said while he was being transported to the detention facility, the man began banging his head on the partition, causing a small gash. He was then transported to a hospital where he refused medical treatment.
He was then taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and was later released on bond.