By Brett Gillin
A Houston-based police officer is in the hospital, recovering from injuries after a man stabbed her 14 times in the arm and torso. Thanks to the quick thinking and actions of several civilians, the officer is expected to survive, although she may end up losing her arm to the injuries. The suspect is now in police custody, after telling investigators that he had every intention of killing the police officer.
Jeremiah M. Matthews, 23, allegedly was walking into a Walmart in Houston, Texas, when he attacked Houston Community College Officer Aprils Pikes early Tuesday Morning, according to Click2Houston. Witnesses say that Matthews walked into the store and immediately tackled Pikes. In the blink of an eye, Matthews took out a hunting knife and began stabbing Pikes. He got in 14 wounds before witnesses were able to help.
Several eyewitnesses intervened to stop the attack, most likely saving Pikes’ life in the process. “I saw him on her just stabbing her,” Abe Baker, one of the witnesses who intervened told reporters. “I wasn’t really thinking. His arm was just up, getting ready to stab her, and I just grabbed his arm and took him down, and that’s when everybody else came over and we all just took him down.”
After they pulled Matthews off of the injured Pikes, the citizens grabbed Pikes’ handcuffs and restrained Matthews while they waited for the police to arrive, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Before the attack, Baker and several other witnesses observed Matthews walking into the store. They claim that he seemed to be in a jovial mood, even smiling and whistling as he made is way toward Pikes. Fox News reports that Matthews originally entered the store with his mother, only to return later to carry out the attack after seeing a uniformed officer.
Pikes, who was working her extra job as a security officer for Walmart, was rushed to the hospital after the attack. After six hours of surgery, Pikes was transferred to the intensive care unit, according to a Houston Community College spokesman. She is expected to survive, although the permanent damages she sustained are not yet clear.
When investigators began pressing Matthews as to his motive for the attack, Matthews allegedly told investigators that his intentions were to kill the police officer because “cops are oppressive.” Prosecutors told the court during his initial magistrate’s hearing “The defendant gave a statement admitting he had the intent to attack a police officer and his desire to kill a police officer.”
In a press conference late Tuesday afternoon, a community activist named Deric Muhammad spoke to reporters on behalf of Matthews’ family. He told reporters that Matthews had a diagnosed history of mental illness, but he did not know if that was a major contributing factor to the attack. Muhammad also stated that there was a chance that Matthews had been influenced by the riots in Baltimore earlier this week.
Matthews has been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. These charges could carry a 99-year prison sentence if convicted.
