WAVERLY – A Waverly man was arrested while hiding in a park after attacking and seriously injuring a person with a hatchet.
On February 21, 2020, the Waverly Police Department responded to a Domestic Disturbance call. When Waverly police arrived on the scene, they located a victim with multiple face and head injuries who claimed they were attacked by the defendant using a hatchet before fleeing the scene. The victim was transported to the Waverly Health Center for injuries and was air-lifted to the University Hospital in Iowa City when the victim’s condition deteriorated.
The defendant was located a short distance from the scene while hiding in a park. He was in possession of a hatchet and the victim’s cell phone. The defendant was identified as 38-year-old Michael Jay Howard of Waverly.
Howard was arrested on charges of Willful Injury (class ‘C’ felony) and released to the Bremer County Jail. Howard is currently being held on a $50,000 cash bond. The charge carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines if convicted. Additional charges are pending against Howard at the conclusion of the investigation. The Bremer County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the apprehension of the defendant.