The Pineville man arrested on August 6 after driving to the Pentagon with a loaded shotgun and a machete has again been arrested.
Monday afternoon, 48-year-old Charles W. Lawson was arrested after driving through yards, crashing a Chevrolet 1500 truck into a ditch, and acting incoherently, telling police he was “protesting ingenuity, integrity of effort” and that he was “raising hell for the Liberty Bell.”
Lawson also told police that he would happily “share all of his knowledge with the enthused if it pertained to liberty business or the dreams of happiness,” according to media reports.
Lawson admitted to drinking heavily before the incident, in which he punched out the window of a residence.
He was charged with his second DUI (aggravating circumstances) and disorderly conduct and lodged in the Bell County Detention Center.
On August 6, Lawson arrived at the Pentagon and approached two Pentagon police officers and made incoherent statements. Police then questioned Lawson who said he had come to the Pentagon to attend to “liberty business.” He also told the officers he had weapons in his vehicle and that he had been drinking.
During a search of Lawson’s vehicle, authorities found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, an 18-inch machete, knives, a box of ammunition, a bottle of Jim Beam, and marijuana.
He was arrested and charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm. Lawson was then hospitalized at Virginian Hospital Center for a mental health evaluation. Doctors told police Lawson had previously been diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia and had expressed suicidal intentions.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
