2 men stabbed in Butler County
BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) — An 18-year-old is accused of stabbing two men in Butler County on Friday afternoon.
Anthony Kelley is anxious and frustrated, thinking about his 25-year-old cousin who he considers a brother.
"He was trying to stop. He was just trying to de-escalate the situation," Kelley said. "They said it went under his ribs, into his ribs, so we're trying to figure out if it punctured his lung."
Kelley said his cousin was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a man stabbed him in his side off Shore Street in Butler.
Rachel Detrick was hanging with friends when she saw some other buddies in a parking lot get into a fight.
"It was scary," Detrick said. "Just arguing back and forth saying names."
The next thing she knew, she saw a man stab Kelley's cousin. She called 911 and then saw the same man stab another guy in the back near the Chestnut Inn.
Josi McChesney went over to help.
"I took my hoodie off. I put it on his back and sat there and applied pressure until the paramedics got here," McChesney said.
Police responded to the area by Rotary Park at around 4:40 p.m. on Friday. They said EMS crews transported two men, ages 25 and 32, to Pittsburgh hospitals by helicopter. The severity of their injuries is unknown, but police said they're expected to recover.
Investigators took 18-year-old Dartavion Johnson, who is homeless, into custody.
"This dude is walking around with a knife, and he just tried to fight me in the store for no reason and jumped me with his friend," Kelley said.
Just an hour before the stabbing, Kelley said he was at a local store buying pizza when Johnson randomly approached him, threatened him and eventually tried to punch him outside.
"He reached in his pocket, and he pulled out a black knife," Kelley said.
Kelley left their encounter with gashes on his arm.
Now, he wants justice for his cousin and the other man who was stabbed.
"I hope he gets help," Kelley said. "I don't want nothing bad to happen to him, but I hope the law holds by its standards, if that's help or jail."
Johnson is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering others.