Tree’s decoration caused man’s outrage, police say

Lance Gamewell, 47, was arrested early Monday after police received a call from a resident in the 1500 block of Orange Avenue saying a man had swung an ax at him and then threw it at him before riding away on a bicycle.

According to police, Gamewell was chopping down one of the man’s trees because of its “un-American” decorative face about midnight Sunday.

After initially running away when confronted, Gamewell returned minutes later to continue his work, Lt. Clay Epperson said. When the homeowner again confronted him, Gamewell swung the ax at him and “missed him by inches,” Epperson said.

He then threw the ax at the homeowner and rode away on a bike, police said. He was arrested two blocks away in the 400 block of East 17th Street and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

“The tree had a decorative face on it; it seemed to be antagonizing him somehow, whatever his mental status was,” Epperson said. “He was still upset about it after he was in custody.”

— Joseph Serna