COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A city worker sliced his hand while removing a Trump 2020 campaign sign that was too close to a Michigan roadway.
The 52-year-old building inspector drove himself to the hospital where he needed at least 13 stitches after cutting three fingers Wednesday afternoon on razors that were taped to the bottom of the sign, WJBK reported. The employee is recovering but still has limited use of his hand, CNN reported.
Several other signs were removed and also had razors affixed to them, the Detroit News reported.
“Anyone passing by could’ve grabbed hold of the sign and been injured, a kid, a dog walking, whatever the case may be,” David Scott, the Commerce Township supervisor, told WJBK. “You can’t booby trap signs with the intent to hurt someone. You know, I’ve seen signs that have been tied to a tree, chained to a fence post or a mailbox, preventing them from being removed. This was simply laid out to hurt someone - and it did.”
The city routinely removes signs, whether they are political or advertising garage sales, if they are too close to the road and could impede the ability to see oncoming traffic. The signs were in front of a house 24 feet from the center of the road. City code mandates the signs be 33 feet away.
“Deputies spoke with the homeowner (who) indicated their signs had previously been stolen, and when they returned from out of town the signs were back in their yard,” the sheriff’s office said in a release. “The homeowner denies any knowledge of the blades.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
