Man arrested in stabbing near House of Charity

Spokane Police arrested a man suspected in a stabbing Wednesday night near the House of Charity.

Officers found a man in the street with life-threatening stab wounds, the department said in a news release.

Michael R. Anderson, 53, was booked into jail on an assault charge in connection with the incident.

Witnesses told police Anderson was under the Browne Street railroad overpass and jumped up in front of the victim when he saw him walking by, court documents say. One witness said Anderson said something like, “I don’t like natives,” before stabbing the man.

Anderson allegedly wiped the knife blade off in a nearby pile of feces, a witness told police. He allegedly threatened a witness at the scene, saying, “If you tell the cops I’m going to do that to you while you’re sleeping,” court documents say. One witness ran to the House of Charity to call police.

Officers found Anderson under the railroad bridge after the stabbing and arrested him after witnesses identified him, court documents say. Nearby, they found an 8-inch butcher knife with human feces on the blade and a 4-inch blade in a can of Pringles potato chips.

Anderson refused to answer police questions.

The victim was in stable condition Thursday morning, police spokeswoman Officer Teresa Fuller said.