St. St. Croix Man Charged with Assault and Disorder After Machete Attack on Family Members

ST. CROIX — A man is facing assault and disorderly conduct charges after a violent machete attack on his sister and her husband.

According to court documents, Clairmont Sackey called 911 last Thursday afternoon to report that someone was trying to break into his Estate LaGrange home. He identified the intruders as his sister and brother-in-law, told the 911 dispatcher that he had a machete and intended to kill them.

Police teams arriving at the scene noticed that there were many traces of blood on the road leading to the house. While the male victim was taken to hospital by ambulance, police spoke to Mr Sackey’s sister.

He explained that he and his siblings shared responsibility for the house, which originally belonged to their mother. On his last visit, he told one of his siblings, his sister, that if a particular screen door was locked when he returned, he would break the lock to get in because no one had a key. This comment suggests possible tension between siblings over access and authority to their mother’s home.

When the woman and her husband returned home last Thursday afternoon, they found the screen door locked. The woman told police she used a hammer to break the lock and allowed her husband to open the front door with the key. On the other hand, it was reported that his brother Sackey tried to keep the door closed by closing it. When they tried to get in, the woman saw that her brother was holding a long, rusty machete. Sackey allegedly began brandishing the gun and threatened to kill his sister and her husband, eventually striking her husband in the face, arms and back.

Sackey’s sister told officers she fled when he swung in her direction and was initially uninjured. However, police observed what appeared to be blood on her back, arms and neck, as well as on her clothing. He later said he didn’t realize he had been hit when he spoke to officers at the hospital. It was determined that he had a long scratch on the upper part of his right arm.

The woman’s husband was being treated in the emergency room of Juan F. Louis Hospital for what police called a “serious injury” to his lower lip, and doctors said he would need plastic surgery to repair the injury. He also had two cuts on his left forearm and told police he could not move his left pinky finger, which doctors said was a possible result of a torn tendon. Her husband confirmed his wife’s account of events, saying that he was threatened with death every time Sackey swung his machete.

The alleged attacker, who was detained after the police arrived at the house, was taken to the police station and agreed to give a statement. He did not dispute the events described by his sister and her husband and admitted that he attacked them after they tried to enter the house. According to police, Sackey said he used a hammer in the incident and said he was elderly and had to defend himself.

Clairmont Sackey was arrested and charged with first- and third-degree assault, mayhem, and possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime of violence. Unable to post the originally set $75,000 bail, he was taken into custody pending a merit hearing recommendation.

In court Friday, Judge Yolan Brow Ross found probable cause to plead guilty to all charges against Sackey and ordered bail reduced to $15,000. Of that amount, one thousand dollars must be paid in cash for Sackey to be released, with the remainder signed by him and his third-party custodians as an unsecured surety.

His next hearing will be held on November 13.