A Staunton man is in custody in a reported machete attack in Augusta County reported early Friday morning.
Griffin Spencer Howland, 29, of Staunton, has been charged with malicious wounding in the attack, and is in custody at Middle River Regional Jail, per a release from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office.
The call to 911 was logged at 2 a.m., with the report being that a man had been attacked with a machete at a residence on Breezewood Drive, about three miles west of the Staunton city limits.
Deputies arrived on location at 2:10 a.m. and located the victim suffering from severe injuries and significant blood loss.
The suspect, according to the release, had fled the area prior to deputies’ arrival.
The victim was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center for treatment.
Howland was taken into custody at a residence in the 200 block of Cedar Green Road, which is about a mile away from where the attack took place.
Howland and the victim know each other, and per the release, the incident stemmed from an altercation that had occurred several days ago.
As all of that was playing out, deputies responding to the machete attack encountered a man operating a motorcycle in the area of Breezewood Drive and Pine Tree Lane, and believing the motorcyclist had just left the area of the incident, initiated a pursuit.
The driver, Aaron Kunio Coffey, 43, of Staunton, failed to stop and fled at a high rate of speed onto Parkersburg Turnpike and then onto Route 262 and Churchville Avenue.
Coffey was taken into custody on several charges related to the pursuit.
He is being held without bond at the Middle River Regional Jail.
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Chris Graham
