18-year-old arrested after police say he raised a machete at early voting site in Florida
An 18-year-old man was arrested in Florida after police say he waved a machete during a confrontation at an early voting site, one of the latest instances of violence this election season.
Neptune Beach police announced Tuesday the arrest of Caleb James Williams of Neptune Beach. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office jail records show he was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated assault on a person 65 years of age or older and on a misdemeanor charge of improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon.
"This goes way beyond expressing freedom of speech," said Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael Key Jr. while announcing the arrest. "To say your piece is your First Amendment protected right, but that goes out the window the moment you raise a machete over your head in a threatening manner."
Williams was in custody as of Wednesday morning and his attorney information was not immediately available.
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Suspect with machete part of Trump-supporting group
Key said Williams and seven male juveniles went to a parking lot at a busy early voting site in Duval County Tuesday afternoon with the intent to "protest and antagonize the opposing political side." He said it escalated to the point that Williams "brandished a machete in an aggressive threatening posture over his head" at two women, ages 71 and 54, causing them to call the police in fear.
A local Democratic organization, the Duval Dems, put out a statement saying Williams was with a group carrying Donald Trump flags, and they approached a group of people waving signs in support of Kamala Harris.
Neptune Beach police assured the location remains safe for voting.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
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2024 election season marked with violence
With less than a week away from Election Day, this election season has already been marked by increased threats of political violence.
A recent study showed nearly 1 in 3 Republicans who view Trump favorably believe political violence is acceptable, compared to 1 in 4 Republicans overall and 1 in 6 Americans. Experts have warned this could be a dangerous election, USA TODAY previously reported. This is the first presidential election after Trump's refusal to accept his loss in the 2020 election sowed distrust in the electoral system and fueled the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts this year. In July he was shot in the ear by a gunman positioned on a rooftop near a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September, the Secret Service opened fire on a suspect after seeing a gun barrel in the bushes along the perimeter of Trump's golf course, where Trump was golfing at the time.
Threats have also been made against election workers and public officials this season. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced legal action in four cases earlier in October:
A Philadelphia man was accused of threatening to "skin" a party official;
An Alabama man was accused of threatening to execute election officials in Arizona;
An Arizona man was charged with shootings at a Democratic campaign office;
And a California man was charged with bombing a courthouse.
On Monday, ballot boxes were set on fire in Washington and Oregon, damaging hundreds of ballots.
Contributing: Erin Mansfield, Bart Jansen, James Powel, John Bacon
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected], and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida man arrested after early voting site dispute involving machete