Snow clearing dispute in Germany escalates into machete attack

A snow removal operation in eastern Germany turned violent when a violent argument broke out between two neighbors.

In the town of Rietz-Neuendorf, southeast of Berlin, a man was using a lawn tractor to clear snow when he allegedly hit a woman, according to a police account of the incident released Thursday.

“This sparked an initial verbal altercation,” police said. But the situation escalated and the neighbors exchanged blows.

The man then grabbed a machete intended for gardening work and injured the woman’s arm. His cut was treated at the hospital.

Criminal investigators are now working to clarify exactly how the dispute escalated.