Julie McMahon
A Syracuse tenant hit his landlord over the head with a hammer after he was evicted from his apartment in March, police said.
Steven Williams, 26, was evicted from his apartment at 163 Holland St. on March 26 by his landlord Charles Jones, 43, according to a police report.
Williams and Jones then got into an argument, Williams left, and Jones locked all the doors so Williams could not get back inside, according to the report.
The next day, Williams returned at 8:40 a.m. and tried to kick in the door, the landlord told police. When that didn’t work, Williams broke a window and went inside, he said.
That’s when Jones called for police.
Officer Michael Drury responded to the house. After much discussion and protesting from Jones, Drury ordered Williams to stay in his room and for the two men to avoid contact with each other until tensions were not as high, he wrote in his report.
Within 15 minutes, Jones called 911 again. When Drury responded back to the house, Jones was on the front porch bleeding from his head.
He told the officer that Williams came downstairs after the police officer left and accused Jones of stealing his cell phone. Jones denied taking anything from him, but Williams lunged at him and began punching him in the head.
Then, Jones said, he felt a sharp blow to the head and looked up to see a hammer in Williams’ hand.
A witness and friend of Jones told Officer Drury she saw Williams hit Jones on the head with the hammer. She said Jones tried to swing it back at him in self defense.
Williams refused to say how Jones was injured. Jones suffered a one-inch cut to his head near his eye and was treated at the scene by Rural Metro Ambulance. Williams had a bump and cut on his head, and refused treatment.
Williams was charged with felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is no longer listed as an inmate at the Onondaga County Justice Center.
Source: syracuse
