A woman was cut with a knife early Saturday morning in the 400 block of Reid Drive in Durham, leaving her with non-life-threatening injuries as police search for the suspect. Investigators say the woman and the suspect knew one another, a detail that has become a common thread in several recent Durham stabbings.
Durham police responded to the report of a stabbing on Reid Drive and found the woman suffering from knife wounds, according to WRAL. She was taken to the hospital, per police, and had non-life-threatening injuries. Police are searching for the suspect, and no arrest has been announced.
A Familiar Pattern in Recent Durham Stabbings
This isn't the first time this year that Durham police have investigated a knife attack between people who already knew each other. On August 26, officers responded to a fatal stabbing in the 600 block of Old Oxford Road where investigators similarly determined the suspect and victim were acquainted, a case that resulted in a same-day arrest, as Hoodline previously reported.
A stabbing near Durham's City Hall Plaza left one person injured and led to a suspect being taken into custody. Mayor Leonardo Williams confirmed that a stabbing was under investigation. Durham police were also investigating an unrelated knife attack stemming from a money dispute at a Sheetz gas station on Hillsborough Road that sent one man to the hospital.
Police Staffing
The search for the Reid Drive suspect comes as the Durham Police Department continues to grapple with a staffing gap. In early August, 420 of the department's 531 budgeted sworn officer positions were filled, leaving 111 vacancies and a 20.9% vacancy rate.
What Comes Next for the Investigation
If and when a suspect is identified and arrested, North Carolina law lays out a steep range of potential penalties for knife assaults. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-32, assaulting someone with a knife or other deadly weapon that inflicts serious injury is classified as a Class E felony carrying up to 88 months in prison, while an assault committed with intent to kill is a Class C felony punishable by up to 231 months.
Police are searching for the suspect. Anyone with information can reach out anonymously through Durham CrimeStoppers, which offers cash rewards of up to $2,000 for tips leading to felony arrests.
