Man Pleads Guilty in Bradford Walking Trail Sword Attack
Adrian Washington pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the Bradford sword attack case. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16.
A Bradford man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the Bradford sword attack, admitting to stabbing another man with a sword on a city walking trail in May 2026. Adrian Washington entered the plea on September 3, 2026, during a conference at the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport, Pennsylvania, and District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer’s office announced the plea the next day, a development also reported by Fox56.
Police Describe the Bradford Sword Attack
The case traces back to May 18, 2026, when a man walking a trail near Country Fair in Bradford got into an argument with Washington. Police say Washington left the area, then returned carrying a katana-style sword. A second confrontation followed, and Washington stabbed the man in the abdomen, according to the original police report. The wound required an airlift to Penn Highlands DuBois for treatment, and officers arrested Washington two days later, on May 20, 2026.
Washington Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault
Police originally charged Washington with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person. The district attorney’s September 4, 2026, announcement confirms that he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.
Sentencing Scheduled for October 16, 2026
Washington is scheduled to be sentenced October 16, 2026, according to the district attorney’s office.
MaxCrime has also covered other recent violent crime cases, including a fatal shooting outside a Dover, Delaware restaurant and a fatal assault in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. More coverage is available in MaxCrime’s Crime News section.
