West Tenn. man survives hatchet attack
[gtxvideo vid=”qgY8qLd8″ playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/qgY8qLd8.jpg” vtitle=”Savannah Att Murder – Jordan”]
SAVANNAH, Tenn. — A charge of attempted murder has been filed against an alleged attacker, and police say his weapon was a hatchet. Residents at Cypress Gardens Apartments are in disbelief after what they saw Monday night. “When I came home, two guys had been into it, and one of them hit the other in the back of the head with an ax,” Tommy Talley, who lives at the apartment, said. Police said they arrested and charged Joseph Highland with attempted murder after he swung and hit Allen Phillips with a hatchet. Officials said when they arrived, they found Phillips inside the apartment with injuries from the hatchet. “I know there’s a lot of violence that’s been going on lately around here, but not that violent,” apartment resident Vincent Casey said. This violence is something Savannah Police Chief Gary Will Jr. said they don’t believe is random. “The initial reports were that this was some type of personal issue between them,” Will said. “However, at this point we haven’t been able to confirm that there was a prior incident.” Phillips is expected to fully recover. Will said Phillips’ attempt to dodge the weapon likely saved his life. Those who live in the area are still concerned. “I got a couple girls and a boy, and I really don’t want them to be around, you know, the area and stuff,” Casey said. “I didn’t know it was getting that bad around here.” Highland was taken to the Hardin County Correctional Facility and has an additional charge of vandalism on top of the attempted murder charge. Phillips was treated for his injuries at the hospital.
