Butter knife used in Friday night stabbing

CLOVERDALE — Strange details emerged Monday in a Friday-night stabbing that landed two men — including the alleged victim — in Putnam County Jail.

A physical altercation between two acquaintances escalated when one man asked the other to stab him and the other consented — with a butter knife.

Tristen Wojcik

According to documents filed in Putnam Circuit Court on Monday, 19-year-old Tristen Wojcik and 25-year-old Dean Knight were drinking together at 52 Monon Ave., Cloverdale, when a verbal altercation turned physical.

According to Cloverdale Officer Luke Brown’s report, Wojcik said at one point Knight put his hands around Wojcik’s neck, although not hard enough to cut off his air supply.

Wojcik told Indiana State Police 1Sgt. Jason Fajt that Knight went on to talk about ending his life and got out a steak knife and held it to his arm. Wojcik said he wrestled away the steak knife but subsequently grabbed a butter knife.

Knight allegedly told Wojcik to end his life for him. First asking Knight if that’s what he really wanted, the younger man told police he “snapped” and stabbed Knight in the left leg with the butter knife.

Realizing what he had done, Wojcik told officers he tried to render first aid but Knight would not accept any help.

At that point, Wojcik said he tried kicking Knight in the head “in order to render him unconscious so he could apply a towel to the wound.”

Wojcik missed in his kick attempt.

After further wrestling between the two men, Wojcik left the apartment and called police.

Brown and ISP Trooper David Cox responded to the call around 6 p.m., hearing the sounds of a struggle inside.

Wojcik was secured in handcuffs as officers assessed Knight’s wounds.

Dean Knight

Knight refused consent to search the premises for evidence. He was subsequently taken to Putnam County Hospital for treatment and later booked in at 9:57 p.m. on a preliminary charge of Class B misdemeanor battery.

Wojcik was booked in at 11:18 p.m. for Level 6 felony battery with moderate bodily injury.

On Monday, Wojcik was formally charged in Putnam Circuit Court. He bonded out of jail at 3:19 p.m. Monday.

Thus far, Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter has filed no formal charges against Knight. He bonded out of jail at 4:57 a.m. Saturday.

A pre-trial conference in Wojcik’s case is set for 10 a.m. on Aug. 3.