KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The suspect who reportedly attacked others with a machete at a Sparta Township party New Year’s Day has been charged.
Manuel Sanchez, 23, was arraigned Wednesday. He explained to the judge he acted in self-defense.
Sanchez was charged with seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
A fight broke out at around 5 a.m. Monday when Kent County deputies say Sanchez wielded a machete and issued threats, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Several windows were broken during the incident.
Two people were treated at the hospital for injuries sustained in the alleged attack.
READ MORE: Machete attack in Sparta Twp. leaves 2 hurt
While he was arraigned, Sanchez communicated with a translator because he does not speak English. He told the judge he wants to press charges against those he say threatened his life.
"I was defending me; I have wounds. I threatened them with a machete so that they will leave me and not attack me. ... I have wounds," he said, translated from Spanish. "They broke all my teeth."
Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the incident.
If convicted, Sanchez may spend as many as four years behind bars for each count. He is currently held on a $200,000 bond.
