Football dispute leads to assault

An argument over football turned bloody for two acquaintances Monday.

Willie Edward Watts, 56, of 111 N. Gregory St., has been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill.

An officer arrested Watts at his home after seeing another man in the street with a large gash on his head.

The officer went inside Watts’ home, where Watts said he hit the man in the head with a pipe wrench, according to a Lancaster Police Department incident report.  

Watts said he and the man were sitting in his living room drinking and listening to the radio about 5:30 p.m. when the two got into an argument about Sunday’s NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers.

Watts asked the man to leave, but the man refused, the report said. Watts said the man then punched him in the eye and tried to continue his assault.

That’s when Watts grabbed the pipe wrench, the report said.

Watts didn’t say where the weapon was placed and the officer never located it, the report said.

The officer said he didn’t see any injury to Watts’ eye.

The victim was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where he was released Tuesday. He had suffered an open skull fracture, the report said.

Watts is being held at the Lancaster County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond.

Contact reporter Jesef Williams at jwilliams@thelancasternews.com or at (803) 283-1152