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Machete-wielding teen arrested after group is accused of intimidating Democratic supporters at Florida polling station, police say
NBC News ^ | October 30, 2024 | Patrick Smith

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.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: calebjameswilliams; calebwilliams; cow; florida; jameswilliams; machete; neptunebeach; stupidity; whobenefits
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Jacksonville............................
1 posted on 11/01/2024 9:36:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: V_TWIN

Ping!..................


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....................)
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To: Red Badger

Florida Man....

False Flag at best.


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

teens committing federal crimes- what a way to start off life-


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

Just wait, after digging around it will be revealed he and his friends are actually demonrats.


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

Now, that’s what’s is supposed to happen when people interfere with elections. I have no problem with that.

My problem is that they don’t do anything about the democrats doing such things.


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

A Haitian Wigger???

The orthodontia is a nice suburban touch....


7 posted on 11/01/2024 9:45:46 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: Paladin2; Red Badger

“False Flag at best”

Possibly. And, after our illustrious female democrat mayor went to London recently and while on a radio show claimed Trump wants to put illegal aliens in cages, and is now calling for us all to get along.....what a pizza chit she is.


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!)
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To: Red Badger

Stupid is, as stupid does.

I see he’s wearing braces. I don’t think they have orthodontists in prison. You can probably get a free sex change (especially if Scamala is elected), but I’m pretty sure orthodontal care is not provided.


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!)
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To: Pete Dovgan
Like Pepperidge Farm, I remember:


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!)
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To: Red Badger

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

OK but how is this any different than Black Panther activists brandishing weapons and intimidating voters outside of a Philadelphia polling site in 2008?

“Ex-DOJ Lawyer Blames Dismissal of New Black Panther Case on Reverse Racism”

https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-doj_lawyer_blames_dismissal_of_new_black_panther_case_on_reverse_racism


11 posted on 11/01/2024 9:53:41 AM PDT by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: Red Badger
This goes way beyond expressing freedom of speech

LOL. Uh, no s__t Sherlock. But I doubt this is voter suppression. This is dumb kids doing dumb things.

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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To: Red Badger

Sounds like a YouTube stunt.


13 posted on 11/01/2024 9:58:07 AM PDT by Roos_Girl (The world is full of educated derelicts. - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: Red Badger

I’ve got a neighbor that’s an Atlantic Beach LEO.....next time I see him I’m gonna ask him what he knows about this.


14 posted on 11/01/2024 9:58:15 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: Bob434

The idiot is lucky no one shot him.


15 posted on 11/01/2024 9:59:40 AM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: All

since this is a false flag, i have no problem with him being put behind bars for maximum sentence, and hope that he gets his daily rape from a black prisoner.


16 posted on 11/01/2024 10:00:51 AM PDT by VAFreedom (Wuhan Pneumonia-Made by CCP, Copyright Xi Jingping)
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To: Red Badger

Kind of strange that the reporter didn’t immediately take a deep dive into the guy’s social media accounts.


17 posted on 11/01/2024 10:08:30 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Red Badger

Was he wearing Khakis?


18 posted on 11/01/2024 10:09:55 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Red Badger

Neptune Beach :

Florida high school bans football team’s police flag after critics deem it “openly racist”
Fox News ^ | September 22 2020 | Lucas Manfredi
Posted on 9/23/2020, 2:09:45 AM by knighthawk

A thin blue line flag has been banned by a local high school in Neptune Beach, Florida following a series of complaints that circulated on social media, according to a report by News4Jax.
According to the outlet, the Fletcher High School football team started carrying the pro-law enforcement flag last year, as a way for one of its players, Caelan Lavender, to honor his late father, Cpl. Andy Lavender. Mr. Lavender was a Jacksonville Beach police officer who unexpectedly passed away in August 2019 after 29 years in law enforcement, and was active in sports programs....
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com


19 posted on 11/01/2024 10:11:47 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Red Badger

Idiot.


20 posted on 11/01/2024 10:12:58 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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