POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A City of Poughkeepsie Police officer was stabbed in the neck Saturday night after responding to a mental health call.
The Action News Service tweeted:
“A City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer was injured this evening inside 25 Smith St. The officer was removed to an area hospital for wounds to his face and neck.”
A City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer was injured this evening inside 25 Smith St. The officer was removed to an area hospital for wounds to his face & neck@marcmolinaro @cityofpok @News12HV pic.twitter.com/fvduvapbSn
— Action News Service (@ACTIONNEWSSERV) November 8, 2020
The officer, a 14-year veteran of the department, was rushed to MidHudson Regional Hospital, where doctors treated him for the stab wound to his neck and other cuts to his face and head. The hospital later released the officer.
The VFW Post 170 said on Facebook:
“Thank you to our brave police officers who keep us safe. The veterans of VFW Post 170 wish a speedy recovery to the City of Poughkeepsie police officer injured in the line of duty last night.”
Officials chose not to release the name of the officer.
Mayor Rob Rolison said of the incident:
“This shows the inherent danger officers face every day when encountering people that are having emotional or other mental issues. This incident could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the quick actions of the officers.”
Officers from the City of Poughkeepsie Police and workers from the Mobil Crisis Team responded to 25 Smith Street for a report of a man experiencing mental health problems.
Upon entering the apartment, the man, 32-year-old Jalil Smith, came after the police officers with a screwdriver. The officer’s partner made a call for backup during the attack.
Officers from several agencies responded immediately.
Officers used a taser on Smith to stop his attack. After being tased, a violent struggle ensued between Smith and two police officers. During the struggle, Smith was able to stab one of the officers in the neck. The violent struggled continued until the officers were able to subdue Smith.
Police Chief Tom Pape was with the officer at the hospital.
City of Poughkeepsie detectives at the scene interviewed potential witnesses.
Smith was charged with first-degree attempted murder, a Class B felony, and held pending his arraignment.
The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department posted a press release on Facebook:
“On Saturday, November 7, 2020, at 745pm, Officers from the City of Poughkeepsie Police and workers from the Mobile Crisis Team responded to 25 Smith Street for a man experiencing mental health problems.
“Immediately upon entering the apartment, the man, 32-year-old JALIL SMITH, came after the police officers with a screwdriver. Smith was tased to stop his attack. After being tased, a violent struggle ensued between Smith and the two police officers.
“During this violent struggle, Smith was able to stab one of the officers in the neck. The violent struggle continued until the officers were able to subdue Smith.
“The officer, a fourteen-year veteran of the department, was transported to Mid Hudson Regional Hospital where he was treated for the stab wound to his neck and other cuts to his face and head. He was later released.
“JALIL SMITH was charged with attempted murder 1st degree a B felony and was held pending his arraignment.”
The Poughkeepsie police department has had its hands full this week and in recent weeks. Just two days before the police officer was stabbed, officers were led on a chase through the city by a drug dealer.
The suspected drug dealer attempted to evade arrest on Thursday when members of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force tried to take him into custody. The suspect fled in a car, pursued by members of the task force and the City of Poughkeepsie Police. The incident started around 12:30 p.m.
The suspect, believed to be 32-year-old DuJuan Marshall, fled in a late-model BMW 4-series sedan. After the brief car chase, the suspect stopped on Brookside Avenue, exited the car, and fled on foot.
With police chasing him, Marshall jumped over the guide rail on Brookside, running in the weeds between the road and the Fallkill Creek. Marshall then accidentally plunged 20 feet to the dry creek bed, suffering a severe lower-leg injury in the process.
The City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department NY Local 596 posted on Facebook:
“Car 10 Engine 1 Ladder 1 are removing one person from the Fallkill Creek on Brookside. The person was attempting to evade City Police.”
The Poughkeepsie Fire Department dispatched Ladder 1 to the scene to provide rigging to recover the injured drug dealer. Firefighters and a medic used ropes and pulleys to lower themselves down to triage Marshall’s wound as they prepared to hoist him out of the creek.
Detectives searched under parked cars for evidence while the medic treated Marshall for his injuries. As the suspect was being hoisted back up in a stokes basket, a tow truck impounded his BMW.
Mobile Life medics transported Marshall to Mid Hudson Regional Hospital, accompanied by a detective from the drug task force. Doctors subsequently transferred Marshall to Westchester Medical Center for surgery to repair a shattered ankle.
Police sources say that a search warrant had been executed at the suspect’s residence at 82 Rinaldi Boulevard early Thursday. Detectives were still at Marshall’s home Thursday evening.
The day before the pursuit, Wednesday, officers responded to a shooting. The City of Poughkeepsie police received reports of several gunshots fired around 10:30 p.m. near N. Clinton and Cottage Streets’ intersection.
Responding officers found a 27-year-old man near 78 N. Clinton Street, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim was transported to a local hospital by medics from Mobile Life Support Services.
Patrol officers and detectives cordoned off Cottage Street between N. Clinton Street and Park Place as they investigated the most recent act of gun violence. Officers located several shell casings in the area. A cell phone was recovered near the incident and may be associated with the crime.
Two weeks ago, A 21-year-old Dutchess County man was arrested by police for the previously unsolved murder of a 55-year-old Army veteran.
Anthony Gray of Poughkeepsie was stabbed at approximately 9:25 p.m. outside Liberty Station in the area of North Clinton Street on Friday, Oct. 16. He succumbed to his injuries during surgery at an area hospital and was pronounced dead at approximately 1 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
On Thursday, Oct. 21, City of Poughkeepsie Police said they arrested Anthony Jackson of Poughkeepsie, whom they had identified as the perpetrator, and charged him with the felony of second-degree murder.
VFW Post 170 Commander Tommy Zurhellen said of Gray, a member of VFW Post 170 on Facebook:
“[He] was a good man who was working on overcoming obstacles in his life; he recently started a job and had a new smile on his face. The veteran community in Poughkeepsie will miss him very much.”
Zurhellen, on Facebook, said Gray was a veteran of the Army staying at the Liberty Station veterans’ shelter. Donations are being accepted through the Hudson River Housing to pay for his funeral and burial.
The VFW Post 170 said on Facebook:
“On Friday night, Anthony Gray was stabbed to death outside Liberty Station, the veteran’s shelter where he lived. We are collecting donations to defray the costs of a funeral and military burial to honor this veteran in the proper way.
“If you are able, please give what you can by visiting our fundraising page below. And please say a prayer for Anthony tonight. Thank you.”
The city has seen several incidents of violence since the beginning of the year. In July, Edward Crowell was the victim of a fatal stabbing on Pershing Ave.
Nearly a month ago, 15-year-old Jalani Jones was shot and killed on the corner of Main Street and Clinton Street. A 16-year-old and a 24-year were both killed in previous shooting incidents.
Wilson said there is no reason to believe the stabbing links to any other ongoing investigations or gang-related activity.
Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison called the stabbing troublesome:
“Someone died as a result of violence, and we are doing everything we can to identify the individual or individuals involved at this point.”
Additionally, he acknowledged that violent crime is on the rise in Poughkeepsie and elsewhere around the region.
Rolison said:
“This is going on throughout the Mid-Hudson region. It’s going on throughout the state. It is very troublesome because our officers who are out there protecting all of us are in the middle of us.
“The community is in the middle of it, and the other part of it is the reluctance of individuals to come forward, not only with information relating to these acts of violence, but they don’t want to get involved in the legal system, which helps bring people to justice.”
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