This story has been updated with additional information.
A Butler County Sheriff’s Office deputy is recovering in the hospital after he was stabbed in the back while responding to a vehicle fire, according to officials.
Deputy Mike Farthing responded to a call for a vehicle on fire on the 7000 block of Myers Road in Madison Township at around 1 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Farthing arrived to a car fully engulfed in flames near a residence. As Farthing was assisting in traffic control, a man approached him from behind and stabbed him in the back, sheriff’s office spokesperson Kim Peters said in a news release.
During a later press conference, Sheriff Richard Jones said the man, 41-year-old Phillip Brandon Lovely, reportedly told Farthing, “This is your unlucky day,” as he stabbed him with a 12-inch knife.
Farthing called in to report that he had been stabbed, and a struggle ensued between him and Lovely. Farthing was able to fight off Lovely and hold him at gunpoint in the snow, Jones said, adding that Lovely said he swallowed multiple pills sometime after the stabbing.
Multiple agencies responded, including the Madison Township Life Squad, which transported Farthing to Atrium Hospital where he is in stable condition and is able to speak, Jones said. However, he is having difficulty breathing.
“He’s in good hands at the hospital,” Jones said at the conference.
Lovely was arrested in connection with the stabbing and is also being treated at Atrium Hospital. Jones said it is still unclear what Lovely will be charged with. The release said Lovely lives near where the fire occurred.
“This incident is a reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers encounter simply doing their job, and we are extremely grateful that this situation did not turn out worse,” Jones said in the initial news release.
Middletown police and fire also assisted in the incident.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘This is your unlucky day.’ Man arrested after deputy was stabbed
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli and Aaron Valdez, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
