Police: Man slashed in face by machete-wielding assailant

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - It only took one sentence to provoke a man to slash a hotel guest with a machete during an incident in North Charleston.

The North Charleston Police Department says they have arrested Tyrique Jermon Williams, 21, and charged him with attempted murder and malicious injury to property.

Police say the incident began when they were called to the area of Tanger Outlet Boulevard and Centre Pointe Drive at 9:43 a.m. Thursday. When they were first dispatched, police say they were responding to reports of a man hitting an occupied car with a machete.

While officers were clearing the area, incident reports say they received another call about a man who had hit a victim in the head with a machete at a nearby extended stay motel. Police responded to the hotel in the 5000 block of North Arco Lane where they say they saw fresh blood and a victim bleeding from the left side of their head.

Police interviewed the victim and witnesses who said Williams had committed the attack and run into one of the hotel rooms.

Incident reports state the victim and his girlfriend were walking through a breezeway at the hotel when Williams came running past yelling “Get the [expletive] out of the way.” The victim then looked at Williams and said “Are you going to hit me with that?” referring to the machete with which Williams was running.

Police say Williams then hit the victim in the face gashing him near the left ear.

Officers then approached the room Williams was in and demanded he surrender. Incident reports say Williams refused to listen to commands and began to walk out of the room towards officers with his blade drawn.

Police continued to make demands of Williams. One officer got behind Williams and incident reports say the officer discharged a taser on Williams.

Williams subsequently fell, dropped the weapon, was taken into custody, police say.

Williams is awaiting bond, according to jail records.