18-year-old arrested after ‘antagonizing’ voters with machete at Neptune Beach polling location

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. — Neptune Beach Police have arrested 18-year-old Caleb James William on charges of aggravated assault after he allegedly threatened two women with a machete at the Beaches Branch Library, an early voting site. The incident involved a group protesting with a Trump flag.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

According to the NBPD, at 4:05 p.m., officers were dispatched to the library—designated as a polling location for early voting—after receiving reports about a subject with a machete.

Upon arrival, police were directed by bystanders to William, who was with a group of males gathered around a truck in the parking lot. The group reportedly arrived to protest, displaying a Trump flag and holding a Trump sign stabbed with a machete, which escalated into a verbal confrontation.

A 71-year-old victim reported that William approached her with the machete raised above his head in an intimidating manner, causing her to fear for her safety. Another victim, a 54-year-old woman standing next to the first victim, also expressed concern about being injured by William. She had a photograph of William approaching them with the machete raised.

The truck next to which William was standing contained a 23-inch machete (18-inch blade) in plain view. Both the machete and the photograph were collected and placed in the Neptune Beach Police Department property room.

William was arrested and transported to the Duval County Jail, facing charges of aggravated assault against a person aged 65 and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon.

Authorities emphasized that the individuals were there to create a disturbance, stating, “Voting is a sacred right that goes beyond freedom of speech, especially when you raise a machete in a threatening manner.”

Police reassured the public that the library remains a safe place to vote, and expressed frustration over the incident, with officials refusing to specify which party the group was attempting to intimidate voters for.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.