Howell Man Arrested After Injuring Woman with Machete

Howell resident Ben Cameron, 30, was arrested and arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and driving on a suspended license after cutting a woman's hand with a machete early Friday morning.

Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said that Cameron had been in an altercation with another man at Burrough's Tavern in Brighton and was told to leave by owner Joe Agius. Bezotte said Cameron left, but then returned about 15 to 20 minutes later carrying a machete. 

The woman, another patron, was injured when she grabbed Cameron to stop him from searching for the other man. Bezotte said the woman was treated and released at the scene.

Contrary to other reports, Aguis told Brighton Patch that the man did not swing the machete at the woman, and that she cut herself reaching for Cameron. 

"This girl who was a patron, and a friend of his I believe, came up around me and went to grab him, and she grabbed the knife," Agius said. "He never swung at her at all. She was grabbing at the knife and grabbing him and he was kind of pulling back. Once she started crying and fell to the ground, he fled instantly." 

Agius also said that the woman was a patron, not one of his employees.

"No employees at Burrough's Tavern are allowed to get in the middle of any kind of altercation. We have a couple of big boys on staff that are paid as bouncers, but even they are only allowed to verbally de-escalate situations. If it got to the point where someone is unreasonable about leaving, we dial 911. On a situation like that, I'm the one who grabbed the guy and moved him outside. I could have easily got cut. It was crazy. I've never seen anything like that. Who comes into a place with a machete?"

According to Bezotte, the fight started because Cameron was hitting on the other man's ex-wife.

Livingston Daily reported that Cameron was released from the Livingston County Jail Saturday morning on a $17,500 bond and will return to court Wednesday for an exam conference before District Judge Theresa Brennan.