A 19-year-old man attacked a man with a machete at a bar in downtown Pensacola: police
Pensacola, Florida (TodayNews) — A Pensacola man was arrested after attacking a man with a machete at a bar in downtown Pensacola Sunday night, according to the Pensacola Police Department.
Andrew Ryder, 19, entered the Old Hickory whiskey bar on Palafox Street around 9 pm Sunday and hit the man in the head with a machete, according to police.
Ryder faces attempted murder and resisting arrest.
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According to Pensacola police, Ryder still had a machete when cops found him on Palafox Street after the attack. The officers ordered Ryder to drop his weapons, but it is said that he refused.
“He rushed at the officers with a machete. Obviously, they could have used lethal force, but they chose not to,” said Mike Wood of the Pensacola Police Department. “There were other people in the Palafox area. They were able to use a less lethal weapon, the stun gun, and it did the trick.”
Staff at the Old Hickory Whiskey Bar issued the following statement: “Our staff is visibly shaken by the incident. Those working at the time of the attack showed courage in getting the suspect out of the building. We are grateful that the situation did not escalate further and that the Pensacola Police Department acted quickly and apprehended the suspect almost immediately.”
According to staff, Ryder entered the bar with a machete at the ready and wearing a face mask. Investigators are still trying to figure out why Ryder attacked the man.
“Why did he choose this person if they knew each other, we are still investigating,” Wood said.
The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Pensacola Police Department. Ryder is being held at the Escambia County Jail on $172,000 bail.
