Middletown Woman Uses Scissors to Fend Off Knife Attack on Academy Avenue

A sidewalk fight on Academy Avenue turned into a double stabbing Thursday afternoon when a woman grabbed a pair of scissors and wounded an alleged knife-wielding attacker to stop him from continuing his assault on another man, Middletown police said.

The incident began around 1:45 p.m. Thursday, March 12, outside 73 Academy Ave., where Torell Saxon, 47, of Middletown, allegedly pulled a folding knife during a physical fight and stabbed the other man in the left arm and left shoulder, according to police. Saxon continued fighting even after the stabbing. A woman at the scene then took a pair of scissors and stabbed Saxon in his left shoulder. Saxon released his grip on the victim and walked away.

The woman flagged down a passing motorist on Academy Avenue, who called police. Officers from the Middletown Police Department responded along with units from the New York State Police and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, arriving to find two men with stab wounds and the woman at the scene. Empress EMS transported both injured men to Garnet Health Medical Center, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released that same afternoon.

Police arrested Saxon and charged him with second-degree assault, second-degree menacing, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Investigators also found that Saxon had an active bench warrant from a prior case. He was arraigned in Middletown City Court on Friday and remanded to the Orange County Jail.

Middletown police said no charges are expected against the male victim or the woman who intervened to stop the attack.