Oct. 30 (UPI) — A Florida teen supporting Donald Trump was behind bars Wednesday for brandishing a machete at two women voters Tuesday at a Neptune Beach polling place. He was part of a pro-Trump group harassing voters, authorities said.
Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael J. Key said 18-year-old Caleb James Williams held the machete in a threatening gesture over his head.
Williams was charged with aggravated assault on a person 65 years or older and improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon.
Key said Williams was the only adult in a group of eight young men in the parking of the Beaches branch library.
“The group was there for no other reason but for ill intentions to cause a disturbance,” Key said. “The investigation showed that the group arrived to protest and antognize the opposing political side.”
The two voters allegedly threatened by Williams were ages 71 and 54.
They called police, and Key said authorities arrived less than a minute later.
During a news conference, Key said waving a machete at voters is not protected free speech. He said Williams and the group were there to “cause a ruckus.”
A video from CBS affiliate WJAX-TV showed Williams among the group holding Trump flags and signs and chanting his name. The video depicts Williams appearing to spear one of the flags with his machete.
“Voting in our country is one of the most sacred and protected rights we have,” Key said. “Ensuring everyone’s right to vote is crucial and it will not be impeded.”
He added, “This goes well beyond expressing freedom of speech. 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.”
Key said the other 16- and 17-year-old males with Williams were not charged, but he said the investigation is ongoing to determine exactly what they did at the polling place, as well.
He said the group did not enter the library to disturb voting that was taking place inside.
But Key said the Trump supporters’ actions “did cause parking issues, it did cause traffic issues and, obviously, there was a police presence there for a limited amount of time.”
In Florida, voter intimidation is a felony. The penalty is up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
In addition to the man arrested Tuesday for waving a machete at voters, a man was arrested last Thursday in West Palm Beach after yelling antisemitic and racial slurs and obscenities as he circled a voting site parking lot.
Nicholas Farley, 30, faces up to 10 years in prison on two voter intimidation and interference charges.