Man pleads not guilty in machete attack at Fayetteville homeless camp

Ashley Pettey
Ashley Pettey

A man accused of attacking two people with a machete at a Fayetteville homeless camp pleaded not guilty Monday in Washington County Circuit Court.

Ashley Kyle Pettey, 36 is charged with one count of first-degree battery and one count of second-degree battery. He was given a Dec. 12 court date. Pettey is being held at the Washington County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond.

Pettey was at his campsite in the woods Sept. 3 when three people confronted him, according to a preliminary police report. The people told Pettey they thought his camp would attract unwanted attention and told him to move it, the report said.

A fight broke out between Pettey and the three people, according to the police report. During the fight, Pettey took out a machete with an 11-inch blade that was straight on the bottom and serrated on the top, according to the report.

Pettey swung the machete and struck two people, one in the left arm and one on the left side of the neck, according to the report.

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