August 13, 2010: Stabbing on the lower South Hill

It looks like the Lower South Hill is a dangerous place this summer! A young woman was stabbed just a few blocks from our July 28th stabbing.

According to KHQ (and probably the SPD’s press release), the incident happened near 5th and Jefferson at the Resident Court Apartments. Police say when they responded they found a female juvenile with stab wounds. She was taken to the hospital where she was treated and released.

This story has a few more wrinkles: at the hospital the girl was found to have a 0.4% BAC from alcohol her mother supplied.

From KHQ: Major Crimes Detectives Investigating Stabbing On Lower South Hill

July 28, 2010; Stabbing at the Zip Trip

Spokane is having quite a July! If only there were some clever pun or alliterative nickname to describe it…

A man was stabbed at the Zip Trip on 10th and Maple. Probably not the first and probably not the last.

From KREM: Lower South Hill

July 13 and 14, 2010; Three Stabbings In Two Days

Three stabbings in two days! It’s a new record*! I’m a little late, but these are good ones!

13 year-old stabs his cousin over the television volume! A man ends a religious argument by sticking another man with a knife! Three people are stabbed in a bar brawl!

From the Spokesman-Review: Religious discussion leads to stabbing in Spokane

KHQ: 13-Year-Old Spokane Stabbing Suspect In Custody

KREM: Three people stabbed outside Downtown Spokane club

*The Spokane Stabbing Watch Records only go back to August 2009 when they were destroyed by a mysterious fire.

June 12, 2010; Stabbing the boyfriend in North Spokane.

Here’s a different one: A woman stabbed her boyfriend with a steak knife last Saturday night. My records show that’s only the second time a stabbing was committed by a female in Spokane history (although the Spokane Stabbing Watch records only go back to August 2009).

The only place I could find this story was on the always classy KREM:

Police say Sarah Walsh, 19, is charged with first degree assault. Neighbors called police around 1:00 a.m. Saturday at an apartment complex off East Wabash and North Lidgerwood.

The boyfriend was stabbed in his side. Police say it is not life-threatening. Police executed a search warrant at the apartment. They think a kitchen steak knife was used in the stabbing.

From KREM: Girlfriend accused of stabbing her boyfriend in North Spokane

May 31, 2010; Double Stabbing in Millwood

Two stabbings, three people needing medical attention, and zero arrests. That’s the upshot of some crazy shit that went down Memorial Day night at a halfway house in Millwood.

And not a moment too soon. Spokane’s got to shake this stabbing slump!

A fight broke out between two men at the halfway house. One man pulled a knife and stabbed the other man and a woman who was trying to break up the fight. The man who did the stabbing fled the scene (sans shirt, apparently), but was picked up by police a few blocks away. While in the police car, the suspect had an asthma attack and had to be taken to the hospital.

Here’s the thing: neither victim wanted to press charges. Considering this occurred at a halfway house, two scenarios are possible:

• Everybody involved are good friends who just like to stab each other from time to time.
• The guy who did the stabbing would have gone back to prison if they pressed charges.

Either way, they all must be fairly close.

Spokane television news outlets outdid themselves on the write-ups of this story. KHQ uses these gems: “Deputies were told one person had been stabbed and that the person who did it was running away, shirtless.” and “the suspected stabber.” KXLY uses beautiful cop-speak in their story: “the man who initiated the stabbing.”

I’m glad I’m not the only one who has trouble describing a situation without everything becoming horribly convoluted. Luckily, I’m not bound by “fairness” or “libel” (at least not yet).

KHQ: Double Stabbing in Spokane Valley Ends with No Arrests
KXLY: No charges filed in Spokane Valley stabbing

May 6, 2010; Transient Camp Stabbing

We’ve had quite a dry spell! The months of April and May were stabbing-free in Spokane (or at least free of stabbings that were reported on in the city’s major news outlets). So it goes. What’s bad for Spokane Stabbing Watch is good for Spokane.

A homeless man had his throat slit after entering a homeless camp that was not his own and starting a fight. It must sound worse than it actually was because he was treated and released from the hospital by press time.

This begs the question: does a slitting qualify as a stabbing? During a slump, I say breaking the skin with a blade counts.

the fight began when a couple came from another camp and entered the second camp uninvited.

The uninvited couple refused to leave and the two men, Bullock and the victim, began fighting. The two were grappling with each other when the suspect pulled the knife.

From KREM: Man’s throat slit at Spokane Valley homeless camp

February 16, 2010; Stabbing at Lincoln Heights

Four stabbings in three weeks. We’re on track to break a stabbing record!*

A man was stabbed Tuesday night at Thornton Murphy Park, just behind Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, when a group of youths approached him and his companions and tried to rob him. When things didn’t go as planned, one of the youths stabbed him. The attack happened at 7:30 in the evening, presumably while the 13, 15, and 19 year old suspect’s Mom was picking up a few things at Rite Aid.

And who, you may ask, has exhaustive coverage of the stabbing? KREM, of course, whose studios are less than a mile away!

The stabbing happened at Thornton Murphy Park Tuesday night around 7:30. Police say the three suspects approached a group of 2 adults and 2 juveniles in the park demanding they empty their pockets. The suspects began assaulting the 21 year old man and he was stabbed multiple times. He was eventually able to escape to a nearby Senior Center where and off-duty nurse tended to his wounds.

From KREM: Two teens arrested, one wanted in South Hill stabbing

*Spokane Stabbing Watch records only go back to August 2009

February 10 2010; Northtown Stabbin’

My oh my, who would have thought that February is a big month for stabbin’s! This one happened during a big old brawl that involved 10-12 people and a hammer; and sent two people to the hospital.

According to the Spokesman, “six to eight persons pushed their way into a house triggering the fight. Officers said it apparently was related to another fight on Friday night.”

From the Spokesman: Burglary, fight lead to Spokane stabbing

February 2 2010; Stabbin’ on the Northside

Two stabbin’s in a week! January was slow, but now the weather is mild, folks are back out stabbin’!

One man was stabbed on North Addison after a night of drinking with a new buddy went south.

Officers say the 39-year-old victim and the stabbing suspect, 32-year-old Matthew Blizzard, had just met that night and were drinking heavily. The two got into a fight and that’s when police say Blizzard stabbed the other man.

From KXLY: North Spokane stabbing stemmed from night of heavy drinking

January 30 2010; Double Stabbin’ in the Perry District

First stabbin’ of the new year! Or at least the first one in the news.

Not many details, but two men (who may be father and son) were stabbed late Friday night just off Hartson.

It appears all the local news outlets took their stories from a release, because they’re nearly identical. KHQ stays classy by being the only news outlet in town to identify the victims as black.

According to every story:

“Initial investigation reveals the stabbing may be gang related.”

Is it really a gang or just a bunch of black dudes hanging out together?

Police responded to the scene at about 3:00 a.m. on the 600 block of South Helena. Police found the two men with life threatening injuries. Investigators say the men, one in his 20′s and the other in his 40′s, are possibly related.

From KREM:Two men in stable condition after possible gang related stabbing