Just a few hours after naming a suspect in last Thursday’s stabbing outside Venture Inn, police arrested the alleged attacker in the Gayborhood.
Apprehended was William Johnson, 39, about 4:30 p.m. Friday. The suspect had been sleeping in bushes in the 1100 block of Pine Street. Johnson, of the 400 block of Morris Street, was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital for rib pain before being processed. Johnson is suspected of stabbing an off-duty police officer and a Venture Inn bartender.
The bartender, Thomas Miguel Martinez, suffered a laceration to the chin and was treated with eight stitches at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and released. The 49-year-old officer, Fran Rafferty, a 19-year veteran of the force and son of former City Councilman Francis Rafferty, was stabbed three times in the torso and once in the leg. He was treated and released from the hospital.
On Friday, Johnson was charged with aggravated and simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He is being held on $250,000 bail at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility. Johnson faces a preliminary hearing at 8 a.m. April 8 in Room 903 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St.
The incident took place March 20 around 11:30 p.m. in the 200 block of South Camac Street.
Police say the officer and Martinez, who are friends, were walking to a bar when Johnson approached and asked for money and cigarettes.
The officer identified himself as a member of the force and told Johnson to leave, to which the suspect replied, “Fuck you” and “I don’t give a fuck what you are.” Police say Johnson then charged at the officer and stabbed him, and Martinez attempted to intervene and was also slashed.
Police say that, following the altercation, Martinez noticed the officer doubled over in pain and they went into Venture Inn to examine the wounds.
The stabbing follows reports of at least two knifepoint robberies last month in the vicinity. In both, the attacker struck from behind with his left arm and held a knife to the victims’ throats and demanded their belongings. Police do not believe Johnson is connected to those crimes.
Also last week, Scorpio Adult Boutique, 205 S. Juniper St., was robbed at gunpoint for a second time in as many weeks.
Police spokesperson Officer Tanya Little told PGN this week that police believe the same man struck Scorpio twice, as well as Spruce Street Video.
She noted the man was wearing a mask during the robberies and investigators are looking at area surveillance to get a better description of the culprit.
On Tuesday, Danny’s, another adult shop, was also robbed