Authorities arrested a Louisiana man Monday for allegedly severing his mother’s arm and injuring two officers, Law&Crime reported.
Authorities arrested John Pittman, 34, after allegedly attacking his 70-year-old mother with a chainsaw, severing her arm. The incident occurred in the early afternoon of July 22 and led to further injuries as two police officers attempted to apprehend the suspect, according to Law&Crime. New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to a call at around 2 p.m. in the area, where they discovered an elderly woman critically injured, her arm severed.
‘The same stuff you see on TV’: Man severed his mom’s arm in chainsaw attack, hospitalized 2 officers, police say https://t.co/HT1oXhAVnm
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) July 23, 2024
NOPD spokesperson Reese Harper confirmed the victim was promptly transported to a hospital and was listed in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, WDSU reported. “To see and hear something like this it’s very, it’s shocking. It is disturbing,” a neighbor told WDSU.
The police received a description of the assailant and traced him to a residence in the neighborhood, Law&Crime stated. Upon confronting Pittman at this second location, he allegedly resisted arrest, injuring two officers in the struggle. One officer suffered a broken leg, head and neck injuries after falling down the front steps, while another sustained a bite wound to the arm. Both officers have since been released from the hospital. (RELATED: Pennsylvania Man Wearing ‘Scream’ Costume Allegedly Kills Neighbor With Chainsaw And Knife)
An employees of Glad company, a firewood dealer, stands by a chainsaw during in Wissembourg, eastern France, on December 15, 2022. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
Pittman was eventually subdued with a stun gun, leading to his arrest. He sustained multiple abrasions and a lost tooth during the arrest, WSDU added. Authorities also retrieved a chainsaw from the residence, which was placed into evidence.
This isn’t Pittman’s first brush with the law, WVUE reported. He reportedly attacked a 73-year-old at a bus station in 2023. He is currently being held on a $300,000 bond and faces charges of aggravated battery by cutting and resisting arrest. The motive behind this gruesome attack remains unclear, with Harper suggesting the possibility of underlying mental health issues.
