He was walking down a Columbia road with a machete, out on bond for attempted murder

A Columbia man with multiple violent convictions – and awaiting trial on attempted murder charges – has been arrested while walking down a street with a machete, saying “he wanted to kill somebody,” according to police.

Julian Ford, 58, of Gary Street, was charged with disorderly conduct and a weapons charge under a city ordinance, according to Richland County court records. He was released Monday from the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $465 surety bond for the weapons charge and personal recognizance for the disorderly conduct charge, court records show.

Officers were called Thursday afternoon to the 1600 block of Gary Street, which is in northeast Columbia between Farrow Road and Colonial Drive, according to an incident report. Someone reported a man walking down Gary Street with a large knife, “waving the knife around and stating that he wanted to kill somebody,” according to the report.

An initial search of the area turned up nothing, but an officer returned 20 minutes later and found Ford walking down the street with a machete in his hand, the report states.

At the time, Ford was out of jail on bond for pending attempted murder charges with the Columbia Police Department from a May 2016 incident, court records and State Law Enforcement Division records show.

The incident happened May 4, 2016, on the 5700 block of North Main Street, according to police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons. A 50-year-old man told officers he was arguing with Ford when Ford hit him in the head repeatedly with a hammer and a metal chain.

The second victim, a 39-year-old woman, told officers she was trying to help the first victim when Ford hit her with the chain, Timmons said. Both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Officers later found Ford riding a bike on Standish Street, Timmons said. A judge set Ford’s bond at $100,000, which he posted Dec. 1, 2016, court records show.

Ford’s criminal history goes back to a conviction for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in 1978, according to SLED records. He also has convictions for armed robbery, second-degree burglary, assault and battery with intent to kill and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

This story was originally published August 8, 2017 at 5:51 PM with the headline "He was walking down a Columbia road with a machete, out on bond for attempted murder."