Nov. 1 – A 39-year-old North Dakota man faces multiple charges after authorities say he threatened and chased other truck drivers with a machete in the parking lot of a truck stop in Albert Lea after being woken by two of the drivers were talking nearby.
William Frederick Seekins, of Jamestown, North Dakota, faces three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one for each of the three alleged victims, along with one count of third-degree assault, one count of threats of violence and one count of criminal damage to property.
Court documents State officials were called to the Trails Travel Center on Wednesday for a report of a weapons violation. When they arrived, they spoke with a driver, who stated he was talking to another driver when a bottle of urine was thrown over the trailer and Seekins came out brandishing a knife. A third man had to jump back as Seekins allegedly swung the knife at his thighs, and Seekins also reportedly sprayed pepper spray in the eyes of one of them.
The man who was pepper-sprayed told officers that he and the first driver were having a casual conversation between their semis on the south side of the parking lot when the bottle containing what they thought was urine flew over a semi-trailer from the parking lot. south and hit him in the back.
He told police that Seekins was walking in the back of the trailer that the bottle had been knocked over and that he was yelling and waving the machete at him from about six feet away. He said Seekins made the comment, “Do you old-timers ever do anything but talk – how about we do something?” Seekins then allegedly walked back around the trailer, went to his truck and returned with a can of pepper spray and the machete. He sprayed the man in the eyes and then started causing trouble with other truck drivers.
A third man told authorities the altercation started with Seekins and the other two men. He said he intervened after one of the men was pepper-sprayed and told Seekins to calm down and go back to his truck.
He said Seekins began yelling at him, came toward him in an aggressive manner and pulled out a large knife. The man stated that he punched Seekins, causing him to fall to the ground. Seekins then began waving his knife at him, and the man began running through the parking lot as Seekins chased him with the knife.
He told police that Seekins had threatened to cut off his and his dog’s heads and threatened to kill him.
Cameras at the travel center showed Seekins swinging the machete and chasing other truck drivers.
Seekins also allegedly cut a hose line on a fourth person’s truck.
When officers asked Seekins what happened, he declined to comment.
In court Friday, Judge Christy Hormann set Seekins’ bail at $25,000 with conditions or $100,000 without conditions. Conditions included signing an extradition waiver, not using or possessing alcohol or controlled substances and not possessing fireworks or dangerous weapons.
He will next appear in court on December 19.
