Stabbing suspect smashed police vehicle window with hammer, South Lake Tahoe police say
A suspect in a stabbing outside a South Lake Tahoe convenience store Sunday morning was arrested after he smashed a patrol vehicle window with a hammer and a Taser was used to subdue him, police officials said.
Steven Messina, 27, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats to a police officer, resisting arrest, vandalism and battery on a police officer, according to a news release from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.
The stabbing occurred about 10:20 a.m. Sunday at a 7-Eleven store in the 3000 block of Pioneer Trail, just south of Lake Tahoe Boulevard.
Police officials said the stabbing victim told officers he was standing outside the 7-Eleven store when Messina jumped on his back and stabbed him with a metal drywall saw. The victim got the man off of his back, and Messina ran away.
An officer in the area spotted Messina in the 1000 block of Moss Road, not far from the 7-Eleven store. Police officials said Messina smashed the passenger side window of the police vehicle with a construction hammer, before the officer could get out of the vehicle.
The officer got out of his vehicle and confronted Messina “using verbal commands,” but Messina ignored the officer’s commands and moved toward the officer, according to the news release.
Police officials said the officer then fired a Taser at Messina, which allowed the officer to gain control of the situation and take the suspect into custody.
The stabbing victim received an injury to his back that was not life-threatening and did not require immediate medical treatment at the scene, according to police. The suspect was taken to Barton Hospital for treatment of minor injuries from the Taser, police said.
