New Britain Township Police. Photo by James Short.
Kenneth Williams is free on $100,000 unsecured bail.
A Hatboro man has been arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with Thursday morning’s road rage machete attack in New Britain Township.
Kenneth Williams, 66, of the 400 block of Bensal Road, is also facing charges of misdemeanor simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, and summary harassment, per a criminal complaint.
Williams is free on $100,000 unsecured bail, set at arraignment by Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage Thursday.
On Oct. 17, at 7:43 a.m., police were dispatched to County Line Road at Manor Drive to investigate a report of an armed subject, with an initial report stating two men were fighting, with one of them armed with a machete, police said.
Upon arrival, police found two men in the middle of the road, struggling for control of a black machete, police said.
As they began to separate, one of the men, identified as Williams, had the machete in his hand and dropped it to the ground, police said.
Both men were ordered to the ground by police. The victim complied and sat on the ground, bleeding from the head from a large laceration, per the affidavit.
Williams, police allege, remained standing with his hands up. An officer moved in and kicked the machete under the police car, according to the report.
Police asked Williams, according to the complaint, who had been in control of the machete and who pulled out the machete, and Williams said he did after the victim allegedly tried to hit him during the road rage incident.
The victim told police that he thought Williams had hit his car, and he got out of the car to check for damage, according to the affidavit. Williams then got out of his car, allegedly holding the machete.
Police said Williams began hitting the victim with the machete. After being cut several times in the head and left arm, the victim grabbed the blade of the machete and held onto it tightly to prevent further attacks until police arrived, police said.
The victim suffered cuts to both hands, consistent with defensive wounds, police said. He was taken to Grand View Hospital for treatment of two large lacerations to the front and back of his head, as well as cuts to his left arm and both hands, police said.
Williams waived his rights at police headquarters, per the complaint, and told police he retrieved the machete from his car after both men exited their respective vehicles and the victim began striking him.
However, police allege, based on the victim’s statement and a statement from a witness, Williams retrieved the machete upon exiting his car and before a fight ensued.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled before Armitage on Oct. 29 at 1:15 p.m., per court documents.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
