Machete-wielding teen arrested after group is accused of intimidating Democratic supporters at Florida polling station, police say

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Posted on 11/01/2024 9:36:16 AM PDT by Red Badger

Caleb James Williams was arrested and accused of brandishing his weapon at two women, ages 71 and 54, police said.

Police arrested an 18-year-old wielding a machete with an 18-inch blade outside a polling station in Florida on Tuesday, saying he was part of a group of teenagers accused of intimidating Democratic supporters.

The teenager, Caleb James Williams, was arrested after 4 p.m. when officers were called to the Beaches Branch Library in Neptune Beach.

Williams was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, accused of brandishing his weapon at two unidentified women, ages 71 and 54, and improper exhibition of a weapon, Neptune Beach police said.

The local Democratic campaign said it was "deeply concerned" about the Tuesday's events, in which, it said, a group of young men waving signs supporting former President Donald Trump confronted a group holding signs promoting Vice President Kamala Harris.

Caleb James Williams captured wielding a machete outside a polling station in Neptune Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.Neptune Beach Police Department Police Chief Michael J. Key Jr. said at a news conference Tuesday night that officers found seven juveniles and an adult in the library's parking lot.

"The investigation revealed that the group arrived to protest and antagonize the opposing political side," he said.

The group approached opposing sign wavers, and an argument developed between the two sides before Williams "brandished a machete in an aggressive, threatening posture over his head," Key said, adding that the police department has released an image of the moment.

"The group was there for no other reason but for ill intentions, to cause a disturbance, " he said.

Key added that the incident was a clear case of actions going beyond what is allowed by free speech laws.

"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 said.

Key said there were no plans to arrest or charge any of the other members of the group, as their actions didn't "cross the criminal threshold," but he stressed that an investigation is ongoing.

Duval County Democratic Party chair Daniel Henry commended the police for a swift response.

He said in a statement: "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."

Police have sought to assure people that the polling station and other sites in the county remain safe for voters.

The Duval County GOP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jacksonville............................

1 posted on 11/01/2024 9:36:17 AM PDT by Red Badger

To: V_TWIN

2 posted on 11/01/2024 9:36:37 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)

To: Red Badger

3 posted on 11/01/2024 9:37:50 AM PDT by Paladin2

To: Red Badger

4 posted on 11/01/2024 9:38:59 AM PDT by Bob434

To: Red Badger

5 posted on 11/01/2024 9:41:34 AM PDT by chuckb87

To: Red Badger

6 posted on 11/01/2024 9:42:02 AM PDT by Pete Dovgan

To: Red Badger

7 posted on 11/01/2024 9:45:46 AM PDT by PGR88

To: Paladin2; Red Badger

8 posted on 11/01/2024 9:46:12 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)

To: Red Badger

9 posted on 11/01/2024 9:46:38 AM PDT by Perseverando (Antifa, BLM, LGBTQs, RINOs, Islamonazis, Marxists, CommucRats: It's a Godlessness disorder!)

To: Pete Dovgan

10 posted on 11/01/2024 9:47:41 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)

To: Red Badger

To: Red Badger

12 posted on 11/01/2024 9:57:06 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)

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