Deputies say a late-night confrontation on Lewis Ferry Road turned into a machete nightmare early Thursday when a Statesville man allegedly broke into a home with a Gurkha kukri-style blade, injured one person, and assaulted another, then bolted into the woods before being tracked down hours later.
Witnesses told investigators the suspect sprinted off armed and headed toward nearby wooded areas. K-9 units and a drone team joined the manhunt, and deputies say they finally caught up with him around 2 a.m. on Fairdale Road.
What deputies say
According to WCCB Charlotte, Sheriff Darren Campbell said deputies found a victim with injuries consistent with a machete assault. Medical staff told deputies the victim was in stable condition.
WCCB Charlotte reports the victim had cuts on their fingers that appeared to be defensive wounds, suggesting they may have tried to grab the weapon in the middle of the attack.
How investigators say the incident unfolded
Arrest warrants reviewed by WBTV indicate the trouble started as a dispute over a vehicle and quickly escalated.
The warrants say Joseph Payton Gallimore grabbed a woman by the hair and held a knife "in a threatening manner." They also allege he threatened to beat and kill a man at the scene, then slashed and flattened the tires on two vehicles.
Witnesses reported seeing him run off toward the tree line, which set off the overnight search that brought in both K-9 teams and drone support, according to WBTV.
Arrest and charges
Deputies say they ultimately found 42-year-old Gallimore on Fairdale Road, arrested him, and took him to the Iredell County Detention Center, where he was served with outstanding warrants and given a no-bond order, according to WCCB Charlotte.
Deputy Geiken obtained warrants charging Gallimore with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, misdemeanor assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, false imprisonment, two counts of communicating threats, and two counts of injury to personal property.
Local court records show the warrants were obtained Wednesday night and that Gallimore was booked in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Legal context
Under North Carolina law, G.S. 14-32 treats assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury as a felony, classified as a Class C or Class E felony depending on the conduct. That level of offense carries the potential for substantial prison time if prosecutors secure a conviction, although any sentence would depend on the facts of the case and plea or trial outcomes.
Local context
While machete-style attacks are not common in Statesville, the area has seen dangerous-weapon cases before. In 2022, a suspect was accused of entering a home with a machete and robbing the occupants, WSOC-TV reported.
Court records and local reporting show Gallimore was scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning. Investigators and deputies are continuing to work the case as the charges move through the local court system, WBTV notes. This story will be updated if prosecutors file indictments or if the sheriff's office releases additional public information.
