A St. Croix man who was shot by his father on Thursday after attempting to attack him with a machete and then a reciprocating saw has died from his injuries, the V.I. Police Department reported Friday morning. The father has not been charged.
Police were called to the Sion Hill residence at 12:29 p.m. Thursday by a man who said his friend had shot his son, according to the report.
“Contact was made with all involved, and detectives were informed that the elderly male was attacked by his adult son, who was armed with a machete,” the report stated. “The witness stopped the initial attack, and the son exited the residence; but then returned armed with a battery-power reciprocating saw and advanced toward his father, who drew his firearm and fired three shots at his son,” it said.
The son, identified as James A. Knowles, 44, underwent emergency surgery at Juan F. Luis Hospital but later died from his injuries, police said.
The VIPD is treating the incident as a matter of self-defense and the father is not facing any charges, according to spokesman Glen Dratte.
According to publicly available court records, Knowles had several past brushes with the law, including a 2021 arrest for assault, an illegal gun and ammunition, and shooting a firearm; an arrest in December 2020 for possession of an illegal gun; and a 2021 charge of driving under the influence and negligent driving. The Superior Court public docket is currently unavailable due to technical issues, and the Source could not determine the disposition of the cases.
