Kansas City man accused in daylight machete attack that injured one
A 44-year-old Kansas City man faces two felony charges in Jackson County Circuit Court for allegedly attacking a person with a machete last week on a residential block in the city’s Key Coalition neighborhood.
Cortez J. Bell is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action on Aug. 24. He was being held without bond in the Jackson County jail since his arrest last week outside of the Kansas City Public Library at 3050 Prospect Ave.
According to court records, Kansas City police were called around 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 22 to investigate a reported disturbance in the 3000 block of Wabash Avenue. There they found the victim of a cutting who described being attacked by an unknown man with a machete.
The victim had severe lacerations, including to his wrist, forearm, leg and hand. One of the cuts nearly severed a finger, a detective wrote in court papers, and the victim was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery to save the digit.
One eyewitness told police she went into the back yard that afternoon to check on her dog as she overheard someone yell: “I told you to leave my stuff alone.” She saw a man beating another man with a pole, heard screams for help and told her son to call 911.
Afterward, the witness said, she saw the attacker throw down the wooden pole and walk south on Wabash.
Based on those descriptions, detectives reviewed city-owned surveillance cameras near the corner of 31st and Prospect and found footage of a man — identified by authorities as Bell — walking around the businesses there. Up until a few minutes before the attack, authorities allege Bell was seen on the videos carrying a wooden pole and wearing a sling that appeared to contain a machete.
Police were also contacted by a security officer with Sunfresh Market who identified the person in the surveillance videos as Bell. He told investigators Bell frequents the area and is known to carry the large blade, according to court papers.
Detectives also showed the machete attack victim a photo lineup. He identified Bell as the attacker with “100% certainty,” according to court records.
Police arrested Bell the following day after receiving a phone call from the grocery store security guard saying Bell was sitting outside of the public library. Bell declined to speak with detectives at Kansas City Police headquarters.
Bell did not have a defense attorney listed in court records as of Tuesday.
