Man allegedly chased woman with machete

A 39-year-old man appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court for allegedly striking a woman with a machete and chasing her with the weapon in hand around Vancouver’s Esther Short Park.

Tipton E. Estes was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree assault. Judge Bernard Veljacic set bail in the case at $75,000, court records say.

The victim called police to the park shortly after midnight to report that a man had punched her in the face and was chasing her with a machete, according to a probable cause affidavit.

When officers arrived, the woman ran toward police with her arms up. Estes was reportedly standing in the park within reach of a machete stuck in the ground, according to the affidavit.

The woman told police she confronted Estes and another man, who were lying down in the park’s gazebo, about sexually harassing her friend. Estes responded by yelling at her, assaulting her and then grabbing the machete, the affidavit says.

Estes swung the machete and hit her in the left arm, but the woman “had multiple layers of clothing on at the time, which helped protect her,” the affidavit reads. An officer also noted the blade “appeared to be dull to the touch.”

Estes said the woman approached him with the machete, and he took it away from her. He admitted to chasing her with the weapon. Witnesses told police Estes had the machete and chased the victim.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 21.