Boone County deputies arrest ‘homicidal man’ from hatchet attack that injured another man

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man accused of using a hatchet to attack another man on Thursday morning, the department announced in a Thursday evening social media post.

Martin Paddie Jr., 56, of Rockford, Illinois, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery. Charges were not available on Casenet on Thursday evening and Paddie’s information did not appear on the Boone County Jail’s online roster.

The post says deputies were called at 2:15 a.m. Thursday to the 1500 block of West Route K. Paddie allegedly told dispatches that he was homicidal and had attacked someone while he was armed with a hatchet, hammer and knife.

Paddie allegedly told deputies at the scene that he “had killed someone, and advised he wanted to turn himself in,” the post says.

The department wrote that Paddie told deputies that he “randomly picked up a subject” on Business Loop 70, drove them to an unincorporated part of Boone County and assaulted the victim with a hatchet.

“Paddie advised he wanted help because he didn't want to hurt anyone else. Deputies were unable to locate the victim nearby, but deputies continued to investigate while Paddie was detained,” the post says.

Deputies were then called at 4:26 a.m. to the 8800 block of South Barry Road for a trespassing call. The caller allegedly told dispatchers that they saw a man on their property “who appeared to be covered in blood,” the department wrote.

The man allegedly told deputies on scene that someone he did not know drove up to him while he was walking and was eventually attacked by the man with a hatchet, the post says.

The sheriff’s office wrote that the victim had “significant visible injuries” and was brought to an area hospital. The victim is stable, the post says.