A volunteer with Lawrence's Slackwood Fire Co. has been charged with threatening other firefighters and brandishing a machete during a dispute with fellow firefighters in January, records show.
James "Jay" Macheda Jr., 22, is charged with making terroristic threats, criminal mischief and weapon possession charges in connection with a late-night Jan. 19 incident at the firehouse on Slack Avenue. Lawrence police did not publicize the incident and could not immediately be reached about it Monday.
Complaints and arrest papers at the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office show Macheda allegedly got into an argument with other members in an upstairs room at the firehouse at about 11:30 p.m. During the argument, the complaints say, Macheda started yelling at one member, who he told to "Shut up...or else."
Macheda then got up to leave the room, threw an item at the victim and then threw a fire pager at a firehouse wall on the first floor, all while other members tried to calm him down, complaints say.