PORT ANGELES — A 24-year-old Port Angeles man was arrested Monday morning after a man was stabbed in the abdomen at the Lincoln Street Safeway supermarket, police said.
Joseph Warren Recoy was booked into the Clallam County jail at 8:57 a.m. for investigation of first-degree assault and is expected to make an initial appearance in court today at 1 p.m.
Cpl. Clay Rife of the Port Angeles Police Department said Recoy admitted to stabbing 28-year-old Nicholas Johnson of Port Angeles after an argument in the parking lot at about 6:42 a.m.
Rife said Recoy used a knife, but did not know the type of knife or the size of the blade. A knife was recovered from the scene, he said.
“There was some sort of argument between the two of them,” he said. “I’m not sure what started the argument.”
Rife was unaware of whether Recoy and the victim know each other.
Recoy fled the scene, but witnesses helped police locate him. He was found and arrested about 20 minutes after police responded, Rife said.
He was arrested without incident.
Rife said Recoy was found nearby, but had left Safeway property.
Rife didn’t know the extent of Johnson’s injuries, but said he was in surgery within half an hour of arriving at Olympic Medical Center.
“It was serious enough that the victim was going into surgery shortly after arriving at the hospital,” Rife said.
The victim was in “satisfactory condition,” Monday morning, according to Olympic Medical Center.
“Johnson sustained a non-life threatening stab wound to the abdomen and will recover,” Rife said.
Rife said the stabbing is still under investigation.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
