A Leesburg man was arrested on a charge of battery after allegedly attacking his brother with a sword during a verbal argument.
Police responded to an undisclosed Leesburg residence regarding a weapon complaint at about 5:19 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The male victim advised that 53-year-old Theodore Dwight Byrne cut him with a sword.
Upon arrival, officers observed an open door and announced themselves as law enforcement. The victim exited the residence and advised that Byrne, his brother, was still inside. Officers entered the home to detain Byrne without incident, the report said.
The victim advised he had just returned from the store and was laying on the couch in the living room at the start of the incident. Byrne was in his bedroom and began yelling at him, stating he was going to “beat him up.” He proceeded to walk from the bedroom to the living room to throw the victim’s items that were inside the living room, the report said.
The victim stood up and began yelling at Byrne, which was when his brother went back to his room to retrieve a blue-handled sword. He struck the victim multiple times on his body. The victim sustained one abrasion on his left arm and two on his back. They appeared fresh with redness and swelling, the report said.
The sword was found inside Byrne’s bedroom next to a dresser, the report said. The size of the casting was the approximate size of the abrasions on the victim’s body.
After speaking with the victim, officers met with a witness. He advised that the victim and Byrne were in a verbal argument. Both struck each other with sticks, but the witness could not determine who was the primary aggressor, the report said.
Officers then talked to Byrne. He explained that the victim started yelling at him for reasons he could not specify, and the victim had been awake for several days due to narcotic usage. He stated the victim struck him in the face with a stick multiple times but denied hitting him back. There were no visible injuries on Byrne at this time, the report said.
Due to the victim’s statement and physical injuries, Byrne was arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (domestic). The Illinois native was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $10,000 bond.
