Lemmie Chad Prescott

OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee man allegedly went on a rampage in his mother’s home on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and chopped up her furniture with two axes, reportedly telling her if she called police, he would kill her. Lemmie Chad Prescott, 35, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

When Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Bogner arrived, the woman told him she was able to get one of the axes away from her son before the deputy arrived, and she said she hid it in her house and then left her residence to call for help. Deputy Bogner located her son on Northwest 246th Street and 192nd Avenue.

Prescott’s mother told Deputy Bogner her son suffers from psychological issues and had been drinking vodka, which she believed caused more of a chemical imbalance in his brain. She said she lived in fear for her life on a day-to-day basis and believed her son would one day kill her.

Deputy Bogner, Deputy William Jolly and Deputy Quintin Speed attempted to make contact with Prescott via the public address system on Deputy Jolly’s vehicle, because they were unsure if he still had an ax in his possession, and he would reportedly stick his head out of the door of the residence and yell at them to leave the property and go home. The team established a perimeter around the house and eventually notified the crisis intervention team which was dispatched to the scene.

The crisis intervention team persuaded Prescott to leave the residence, but he would only come as far as the porch, the report notes. Sergeant Matt Hurst arrived on the scene along with Deputy Hernandez, and Sgt. Hurst utilized his taser. At that point, they were able to get Prescott in wrist restraints.

The report notes, Prescott said he was willing to talk but claimed he did not remember anything of the incident. He was medically cleared and transported to the Okeechobee County Jail without further incident.

Assault charges are not new to Prescott. In 2017, he was charged with two counts of assault, one count abuse of the elderly and two counts tampering with a witness, but the charges were dropped. In 2015, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He was sentenced to state prison for one year. In 2012, he was charged with battery, but again, the charge was dropped.

His bond in the incident this month was set at $25,000.