MACHIAS — A Cutler man was in custody Friday after being charged in connection with a bizarre attack on Edward L. Hennessey Jr., CEO of Machias Savings Bank.

Delwyn Huntley, 42, was charged with assault, felony eluding, and driving to endanger, Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith. Huntley was in custody in the Washington County Jail in lieu of $500 bond.

Hennessey, who stepped down as president of the bank in October 2011 but continues to serve as CEO, suffered minor cuts and bruises that required no medical treatment, according to Smith.

“We don’t really know what provoked this,” said Smith. He characterized the incident as “a very strange event, quite frankly.”

Hennessey and his sons tend 300 acres of blueberry barrens in nearby Jonesboro. He was at his farm in Whitneyville on Thursday afternoon when Huntley arrived in a vehicle and “went off on Ed … pounded on him” before leaving the scene, said Smith. Hennessey’s sons followed Huntley in a vehicle and called Smith about 3:15 p.m., the sheriff said.

Smith said he attempted to stop Huntley on Marshfield-Ridge Road, but Huntley refused to stop. Smith pursued him a distance of about seven miles to the Jacksonville area of East Machias. At one point a deputy deployed a spike strip that flattened one tire on Huntley’s vehicle, but he continued driving about three more miles. Huntley eventually drove onto someone’s property, through their yard and across a field, and his vehicle come to a rest near some woods, according to Smith. He was taken into custody by Smith and two deputies.

The officers recovered a pistol from Huntley’s vehicle along with knives and meat cleavers, said Smith, but they were not used in the attack on Hennessey.

Smith speculated that Huntley may be suffering from some psychological problems or medical-related condition.

The Hennesseys were acquainted with Huntley and said he had visited them a week earlier, said Smith.