A long-standing family feud turned deadly after a man attacked his son with a chainsaw, and in response the son defended himself by running his father over with a lawnmower. The son was not charged as he was acting in his self-defense according to a report:
A Tennessee man lost one of his legs after his son, trying to fend off the 76-year-old’s chainsaw attack, drove over the older man with a lawn mower, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
The father, identified as Douglas Ferguson, of Bristol, now faces a charge of attempted second degree murder, according to the Bristol Herald Courier.
The incident happened June 28, but, because of the severity of the injury, authorities weren’t able to serve the arrest warrant until Tuesday.
Officials say Ferguson’s son was mowing the front lawn when his father went after him with the chainsaw.
“The son defended himself against the attack by running over the suspect with the lawn mower,” according to an SCSO press release obtained by the Kingsport Times-News. “The injuries that the suspect (Ferguson) sustained were as a result of the lawn mower striking and running over him.”
Ferguson, who was found bleeding from his leg and head, was taken to the hospital where doctors amputated his leg.
Investigators with the sheriff’s office said the two men have a long-running feud.
Ferguson was jailed on the attempted murder charge and for violating parole related to a previous aggravated assault, according to the Times-News. Bond was set at $25,000 for the attempted murder charge. (source)