Chicago police officers stopped a man from stabbing his sister with a box cutter during a reported domestic-related incident in the Portage Park area on the Northwest Side, according to police.
The incident unfolded at about 5:50 p.m. on Oct. 16 in the Portage Park area, according to police, as detailed by Nadig Newspapers.
Officers Intervened to Save the Girl
Police said officers intervened as the man attempted to stab his sister with a box cutter.
Officers stopped the attack, police said.
A Pattern Playing Out Across Chicago
A Chicago Boy Was Killed While Protecting His Mother
CBS News Chicago recounted the 2024 killing of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins, who was stabbed to death in his home while trying to protect his mother from her violent ex-boyfriend as his five-year-old brother watched.
Citywide Domestic Violence Rates Have Dropped
Even with those troubling figures involving children, Chicago's broader domestic violence statistics have trended downward this year. The city's reported domestic violence rate was 11 percent lower in the first half of 2026 than during the same period in 2025, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Compared with the same period in 2019, the rate was 19 percent lower, sitting at 98.4 incidents per 100,000 residents, the council found.
The council's analysis also found that reported levels of 10 of 13 tracked offenses in Chicago declined during the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025. Still, the Portage Park incident is a reminder that even isolated cases can carry life-or-death stakes for the children caught in the middle, a dynamic police intervened to prevent this time around.
