A 67-year-old man was convicted last week by a Bucks County jury of attacking a man with a machete during a road rage incident in New Britain Township last fall.
The jury found Kenneth Williams, of Hatboro, guilty of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and harassment. Sentencing was deferred to a later date. The jury trial, which began Monday, was presided over by Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller.
The violent encounter unfolded on October 17, 2024, around 7:43 a.m., when police were called to the intersection of County Line Road and Manor Drive for reports of an armed individual. Initial dispatches indicated two men were fighting, with one wielding a machete.
Upon arrival, an officer observed Williams and the victim struggling over a black machete in the middle of the road. The officer ordered both men to drop the weapon. As they separated, Williams, who had control of the machete, dropped it. The officer then ordered both men to the ground.
The victim complied, sitting on the ground with a bleeding head wound, while Williams remained standing with his hands raised.
The officer quickly secured the machete by kicking it under his patrol car. The victim was found to have a significant laceration on his head. When questioned, Williams claimed he pulled out the machete after the victim tried to hit him during a road rage incident. Williams was subsequently detained and handcuffed.
The investigation revealed that after a near collision, both men exited their vehicles to assess the damage. It was then that Williams, armed with a machete, began striking the victim. The victim, after suffering multiple cuts to his head and left arm, grabbed the machete’s blade and held onto Williams to prevent further injury until police arrived. Officers noted defensive wounds on both of the victim’s hands.
The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of two large lacerations on his head, as well as injuries to his left arm and both hands.
