Baltimore saw a heated dispute over a political sign turn violent on Sunday, resulting in the stabbing of a man holding a Trump sign and the subsequent arrests of two individuals. As reported by WMAR-2 News, police arrested Thomas Christian, 56, as he paced between Greenmount Avenue and Old York Road, overheard by officers swearing and admitting to the stabbing. The altercation began when Christian reportedly took exception to Matthew Middleton displaying a Trump sign.
Following the incident, police found Middleton near the Waverly Ace Hardware on Homestead Street, suffering from multiple stab wounds to his leg. The investigation led to camera footage showing Christian approaching Middleton with a beer in hand and snatching the sign from him, which set off the violent exchange. Middleton responded by employing a "chokehold," then used an asp, or bat-like weapon, to strike Christian multiple times. Christian, in turn, produced a knife and stabbed Middleton in the leg. “He just prayed me with mace, and I stabbed the motherf—er," Christian stated, according to charging documents obtained by Fox Baltimore.
The violence between the two escalated further when Middleton, attempting to create distance from Christian, sprayed mace at him. Medics transported Middleton to Johns Hopkins Hospital to treat his injuries, which, while serious, were not life-threatening. Meanwhile, Christian received medical attention at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital but showed no signs of physical injuries from the altercation.
According to FOX Baltimore, charges laid against Thomas included second-degree assault, carrying a dangerous weapon to cause injury, and reckless endangerment. Middleton, likewise, was taken to the Baltimore Central Booking & Intake Center; his charging documents were not available as of yesterday afternoon. Police recovered the knife used by Christian in the 3200 block of Greenmount Avenue, where a crime lab technician was dispatched to collect further evidence.
