Police: Ferndale Stabbing Self-Defense

KGMI-AM ^ | 29 July, 2009 | Tracy Ellis

[marktwain]

FERNDALE, Wash. -- A stabbing in Ferndale sent a man to the hospital, but the teen with the knife remains free.

A 25-year-old and 16-year-old got into a fight in the Ace Hardware parking lot Tuesday afternoon, said Ferndale Police Lieutenant Bill Hatchett.

Police initially arrested the teen, but then released him.

“All the witnesses have told us that the adult male was physically assaulting the 16-year-old male, at which time the 16-year-old male pulled out a pocketknife that he carries in his pocket, and used it against the adult male,” said Hatchett.

“After questioning him, getting his story and some witness statements, and then consultation with the prosecutor’s office, it was determined that no charges would be brought on the juvenile at this time,” he said.

The man was taken to Saint Joseph Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

He may be facing assault charges, said Hatchett.

[marktwain]

Ok, this is not directly firearms related. If I get enough complaints, I will not post knife self defense stories to the banglist. I thought most would be interested, as knife self defense stories are not as common as gun self defense stories. Add this to the fact that it was a 16 year old, who probably wasn't legally able to carry a gun for self defense, and it seemed worthy of exposure to the banglist.

[Loud Mime]

pocketknife? He had the time to pull out his swiss army knife, put his thumbnail in the right slot, then unfold the knife and the aggressor let him?

Maybe it was a “Benchmade” pocket knife.

[taxtruth]

I’m sure the kid was probably scared to death if I read this right.I wouldn’t blame him at all.

[11Bush]

pocketknife? He had the time to pull out his swiss army knife, put his thumbnail in the right slot, then unfold the knife and the aggressor let him?

I carry a CRKT M16 that opens in about the same time as it would take you to know you are bleeding. Of course, I would clear leather with the Kimber Pro Carry first.

[marktwain]

I used to carry a small fixed blade as a pocket knife.

[marktwain]

I also carried a swiss army 3 1/2 inch lockblade as an “airline” knife before 911. Most knives can be opened with one hand if you work at it and practice. Of course, those designed to make one handed opening easier are, well, easier.

[Loud Mime]

A friend of mine, a former SEAL, showed me some knife moves that were, uh, spooky and very discomforting. I then learned why a knowledgeable person would rather have a knife than a gun in very close fighting.

[calex59]

If he indeed was protecting himself, and it sure sounds as if he was, good for the kid.

[calex59]

I have a pocketknife, and so do many, many others, that only requires one hand to open and it can be done very quickly if need be. It is not a switchblade nor does it use springs, it is a common enough type of knife, in fact I would say most pocket knives today will open with one hand.

Not a swiss army knife of course, but then we don't know what type of knife the kid had do we?

Witnesses say the kid acted in self defense and the cops seem to think so too. What do you base your disbelief of this on other than you think he had a swiss army knife?

[Loud Mime]

I was being a bit sarcastic. My bet is that he had something that most of us would marginally call a “pocket knife”.

[Fractal Trader]

wa ping

[TNdandelion]

Good thing this didn’t happen on school property...his public screwl education would be over....zero tolerance!

[USNBandit]

Ferndale is a small town, with some interesting contrasts. Things like this are rare, although we had a meth'd-out-freak murder his girlfriend and her child recently.

Good schools, American flags out for every holiday, a Christmas celebration at a city park that they still call Christmas. My neighbors are great.

On the flip side there is a fair amount of property crime in the county, mostly to support drug habits. Down in Bellingham there are a bunch of mostly wannabe gangs that are taking hold. In Ferndale we have Bandido bike gang members.

My prediction for the future is that Ferndale will stay the same and Bellingham will get a little bit worse. The next county down has a lot of problems with illegals. The county jail is full of them.

[sionnsar]

Thanks to Fractal Trader for the ping.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

Quick link: WA State Board

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[rackatoot]

My Dad and step-mom live in Ferndale. Nice place. I don’t know what the politics are like there, but they caused me grief when in 2004 they said they were actively campaigning for Kerry, and in 2008 they supported Obama. Brain dead kool-aid drinkers. I don’t know what happened to them.

[USNBandit]

We had an Obama supporter in the neighborhood that came around during their "directed grass roots" campaign. She seemed a little down trodden to find all of her neighbors were McCain supporters.

The town as a whole seems split down the middle. Not nearly as bad as Bellingham. Around the federal holidays I take the two extra minutes to commute via Main Street which is lined with American flags on every lamp post.

[marktwain]

Every firearms instructor that I have observed for the last 30 years, carried a quality folding knife virtually all the time. A person cannot seriously study the use of the gun for defense without learning something about knives as weapons. Edged weapons can be extremely effective, and they don’t have to be big to inflict a lot of damage in a very short time.

[FreedomPoster]

Do these make your list? Or only firearms?

To me, a knife classifies as “personal armaments”.

[FreedomPoster]

Heck, I carried a Spyderco Delica (non-serrated) before 9/11. It was under the maximum blade length allowed before then.

[Keith Brown]

Thanks for posting!

[DaveLoneRanger]

Just firearms. I’ll start the knife defense stories when our laws become like Great Britain’s! :-)

[FreedomPoster]

Cool, and ygm.

[Robert357]

pocketknife? He had the time to pull out his swiss army knife, put his thumbnail in the right slot, then unfold the knife and the aggressor let him?

I carry a CRKT M16 that opens in about the same time as it would take you to know you are bleeding. Of course, I would clear leather with the Kimber Pro Carry first.

I too have a concealed carry firearm and a Smith&Wesson brand tactical pocket knife with a thumb button that allows the blade to be "flicked out" very quickly. While I usually like to comment about not bringing a knife to a gun fight, I guess this time you shouldn't forget to bring a knife to a knife fight.

[allmendream]

I spoke with a Blackwater demolitions guy who said “I would rather be shot twice in the body than stabbed ANYWHERE two inches deep.”