A witness at an Oak Harbor trailer park saw a pickup truck with a machete-wielding passenger chasing after a man riding a bicycle May 10, according to court documents.
Police identified the man with the machete as 55-year-old David M. Turnpaugh and arrested him on suspicion of assault, court documents state.
Police responding to the scene pulled over the pickup truck, which was driven by a woman. According to a report by a deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Department, Turnpaugh said the man on the bike had stolen property from him the day before.
Turnpaugh allegedly admitted that he did have a machete and tried to “catch” the other man, the report states. Turnpaugh indicated he would have just “slapped” the other man with the big knife, the report states.
A rusty machete was found in the back bed of the truck.
After he was arrested, Turnpaugh said he had a heart condition and needed his medicine, which the deputy retrieved. Turnpaugh told the deputy that he would likely have a heart attack.
On the way to the jail, Turnpaugh became unresponsive and appeared to have passed out. The deputy brought him to a nearby ambulance quarters, where Turnbaugh woke up. The medics found that his heart rate and blood pressure were good, and he refused any further treatment.
Turnpaugh appeared in Island County Superior Court May 13. The judge found probable cause existed to believe Turnpaugh may be guilty of assault in the second degree. His bail was set at $5,000.