Man pulls sword and attacks during argument over dirty floors, NC sheriff says

A sword attack left a North Carolina man seriously wounded, and an investigation has revealed the motive was equally unusual, deputies say.

It happened Wednesday, July 1, at a rural home on Pears Hart Lane near Lexington, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“Deputies found the 61-year-old adult male victim suffering from a major laceration to his face and head from being struck with a large sword,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Through their investigation, deputies determined Jimmy Winstead ... struck the male victim with a sword over an earlier disagreement because he had not swept or mopped the floor. The victim was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where he is in stable condition.”

Winstead, 27, was arrested and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with the intent to kill, the sheriff’s office said.

He lives at the home where the attack occurred, according to court documents.

An arrest warrant describes the weapon as a broadsword, a term applied to “various swords with broad blades,” according to Swordis.com.

Lexington is about a 60-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 6:20 AM with the headline "Man pulls sword and attacks during argument over dirty floors, NC sheriff says."