A 32-year-old husband, Jacob Couch, was almost decapitated after the alleged attacker, Daniel Michael, approached him and his wife and began yelling at them while wielding a hatchet. Couch is currently fighting for his life, with his family fearing he is losing the battle.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to court documents obtained by 13 News, Jacob and his wife, Kristen Couch, were sitting on a Tucson, Arizona, bus bench on Saturday, April 5. All of a sudden, Michael approached them both and began yelling at them. Michael allegedly wielded a hatchet at the time. Jacob would then say something back to the man, prompting the alleged attack.
Couch was rushed to Banner University Medical Center, where he is on life support in the ICU. Reportedly, the injury he sustained was so bad that it cut the artery on the back of his neck. The hatchet hit his skull. Due to the severity of his condition, he was diagnosed with an anoxic brain injury, according to the New York Post. This means that his brain was starved of oxygen over an extended period, as per Headway.
Video footage of the incident shows Michael calmly leaving the scene, as per the outlet. The video, however, helped authorities identify and track him down. Daniel Michael was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Family Reacts
Couch's family, unfortunately, believes that he won't survive his injuries and is expecting the worst.
"He's not expected to make it right now," Jacob's brother, Luke, told 13 News. "We've just been taking it how we can."
Kristen Couch, who described his husband Jacob as a non-confrontational person but kind, has been left traumatized by the violent event.
"Seeing your husband get almost decapitated and being the only one to help like it's, hard," Kristen said.
Luke Couch further condemned Michael's alleged actions, which could possibly end up causing Jacob's death.
"If you're going downtown when you're drunk carrying a large machete like that you have no other intentions other than to cause harm to somebody," Luke said. "He went down there looking for trouble and it just so happens to be my brother who is not going to make it home from this."
A GoFundMe was set up to raise funds to cover Jacob's medical expenses.
Should Jacob Couch die, court documents reveal that Daniel Michael will be charged with homicide.
