Local

Police say 11-year-old stabbed teen in back after fight

ROCK HILL, S.C. — York police said an 11-year-old boy is charged with attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a 15-year-old boy in the back with a knife Monday.

"I heard the rescue squad and the siren, so we came out to see what was happening," said Melvin Stewart, who lives near where the alleged stabbing happened. "Young man had been stabbed."

According to the police report, the two boys got in a fight earlier at a neighborhood home. The report said the 15-year-old took a hat and started hitting the 11-year-old in the head, and a fight broke out. It was eventually broken up and the boys went home.

Police said that not long after, the 11-year-old went looking for the 15-year-old, found him and stabbed him.
Police said neighbors poured out of their homes to find out what happened.

"People were not moving, they were not listening, there was a lot of commotion," said Lt. Rich Caddell, a detective with the York Police Department.

Caddell said when officers showed up, a large crowd had formed around the scene. He said they estimated that as many as 200 people were there. Police said the officers ended up moving the 15-year-old to the ambulance to treat him.

"It's surely a traumatic injury, one he will never forget and I'll be honest with you, one most of the officers will never forget because we're just not used to seeing that kind of injury on a child like that," said Caddell.

York police said they are still investigating and that there could be more charges. They are sending a message to the community that this type of violence is not OK.

"This is certainly not something that we want to see a trend of or be accepted as being OK," said Caddell.

Eyewitness News spoke with the 15-year-old's dad off camera. He didn't want to say much, but did say his son is still in the hospital but is doing OK.

Eyewitness News stopped by the 11-year-old's home. A family member there told Channel 9 that the family had nothing to say.

Caddell said there will be a juvenile hearing for the 11-year-old at the beginning of January. Right now, he is in a juvenile justice facility in Columbia, S.C.

Police expect that, because of the boys' ages, this will be handled in family court.