70-year-old man kills himself with chainsaw after attacking wife with hatchet
A domestic dispute in Springfield, Va. turned deadly Wednesday when a 70-year-old man attached his wife with a hatchet, then killed himself with a chainsaw, police say.
Fairfax county police received a call about an assault with a weapon around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Fox 5 in Washington, D.C.
A female family member, said to be a stepdaughter, had gone to the couple’s home and couldn’t open the front door. When she managed to push it open she saw, in the foyer, the 70-year-old man hitting his 76-year-old wife with the blunt side of a hatchet.
“The family member was able to rescue the victim, bring her outside,” Fairfax County Police Officer Reem Awad told Fox 5.
“At which point, the male suspect did follow outside and a struggle ensued over that ax. 911 was called at that point and we responded.”
While officers were on their way dispatchers told them the stepdaughter managed to grab hold of the ax and fend off the man, reported WJLA in Washington, D.C.
The man ran back into the two-story home.
Prepared for a standoff, police set up a perimeter around the house when they arrived. But an officer saw the man on the garage floor.
“Get me a trauma kit up here! Get me a trauma kit!” he shouted into his radio, according to WJLA.
According to NBC Washington the husband was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead of self-inflicted injuries from the chainsaw. Police have not released his name in order to protect his wife’s privacy. She is expected to survive.
Neighbor Zury Bradcovich told Fox 5 that the wife seemed really confused after the attack and “kind of like in shock, and her hands was probably injured, cut.”
Police continue to investigate what happened. It’s not known whether alcohol or drugs were involved.
“I'd never seen anything like that,” Bradcovich told WJLA. “I don't know if he was on medication. I really have no idea because he always looked the quiet, calm type, I don't know what happened to him.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 10:26 AM with the headline "70-year-old man kills himself with chainsaw after attacking wife with hatchet."