MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE AFTER STABBING; LIFESAVING AWARD TO BE PRESENTED
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed today reported that a man has been arrested on charges of Criminal Attempted Homicide, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of an Instrument of Crime after an overnight stabbing occurred in the 300 block of Market Street.
Arrested is Phillip Leon Devenshire, 55, of the 1300 block of State Street in Harrisburg.
Police were called at 12:09 a.m. today (Tuesday) with a report of a stabbing that had just occurred. The nearest police unit was one block away and arrived in less than a minute. The victim, Ezra B. Wood, 26, of Harrisburg, and a friend, Nicole L. Hook, 29, also of Harrisburg, had been playing pool in a restaurant in that block.
The suspect entered and sat near them. He soon approached and asked for money for a bus ticket to York. When refused cash, the suspect attempted to sell the victim and his friend a watch and stuffed football, which they declined to buy. When the couple left the restaurant, the suspect followed them outside, blocking their ability to get into their vehicle. The suspect demanded money, which the victim refused. The suspect then stabbed the victim once in the neck area, causing a 6-inch laceration and causing extensive blood loss.
The victim was taken back into the restaurant where Ms. Hook applied direct pressure to stop the bleeding. Harrisburg Hospital doctors advised that had this not been done, the victim would have died. Mayor Reed said Hook will receive the City’s lifesaving award and citizen commendation at the next annual police awards ceremony to be held in May.
"There is no question that had this immediate treatment not been provided after the stabbing, we would be dealing with a homicide," Reed said. "This attack was entirely unprovoked and the victim appears to have been chosen at random. The suspect’s behavior clearly represents a threat to both society and this community and deserves the maximum penalty of imprisonment."
The suspect ran from the scene after the incident. Based on a suspect description, police took him into custody shortly thereafter.
The suspect was committed to Dauphin County Prison, following arraignment today, in lieu of making $95,000 bail.
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