A man was arrested Monday after allegedly stabbing a female sergeant in the shoulder and cutting her face and head in a Hobby Lobby parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga.
Police received a call from a man who claimed he had been abducted, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. The man, who was also dressed in a white and blue robe and allegedly making incoherent statements, attacked the sergeant with a 6 to 8-inch knife when she got to the scene at 10640 Foothill Boulevard, said San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon.
Jonathan Schultz watched in horror as the sergeant and the suspect struggled with one another, the sergeant drawing her gun to fend off the man who was slashing at her head and shoulder. "He actually got (the gun) out of her hand, but she was able to get her gun back up and fire three shots," Schultz said.
After the sergeant opened fire, the man finally complied with her orders to get down, Schultz said. The suspect was not hit by the gunfire.
"It was about 30 seconds to a minute later that other female officers came and handcuffed him," Schultz said.
The sergeant was airlifter to a nearby trauma center after suffering a stab wound to the shoulder and cuts to her face and head, McMahon said.
"We are all praying that she will be fine and she will recover quickly," said Dulce Gerdes, a shopper. "She was doing her job and we are grateful for that."
