Man stabbed multiple times during north Spokane scuffle Tuesday, wounds ‘extremely life-threatening’

A 45-year-old Spokane man is accused of stabbing a man multiple times Tuesday night in north Spokane.

Barclay D. Bennett was charged with first-degree assault and was in the Spokane County Jail Thursday night with bond set at $500,000 .

Police were dispatched around 7:50 p.m. to 6818 N. Atlantic St. for a reported stabbing and arrived to find Ralph Kinerson lying on the ground in front of the residence, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday in Spokane County Superior Court.

One officer noticed a stab wound to Kinerson’s chest and one below his armpit, documents said. Both wounds were bleeding profusely.

Officers provided medical aid before medics arrived and took over, they said. Medical personnel located a third stab wound on Kinerson’s “lower-left flank.”

Doctors told police Kinerson’s injuries were “extremely life-threatening and created a high probability of death,” documents said. Kinerson’s medical status was unclear Thursday night.

A nurse told police she found a spring-loaded knife in Kinerson’s pants pocket.

A friend of Kinerson’s told police she was hanging out with Kinerson at the Atlantic Street residence when there was a knock at the door. Bennett and Kinerson then got into a physical altercation on the ground in front of the residence, and Kinerson began to yell, “He’s stabbing me.” Bennett then walked off, the friend told police.

Another witness said she was next door cooking when she heard yelling coming from outside, documents said. She saw her neighbor, Kinerson, and Bennett wrestling on the ground and heard Kinerson yell, “I’m stabbed.”

She told police Bennett walked away from the residence, but then returned for a bag and walked into an apartment at 106 W. Wedgewood Ave.

Bennett told police something about Kinerson “falling on his own knife,” and said, “I told you guys he tried to cut me” and “I thought we (he and Kinerson) were pals, I thought we were tight,” according to documents.

Bennett said he was covered in pepper spray, and police said both of Bennett’s eyes were black and swollen.

Bennett made his first court appearance Wednesday and is scheduled for an arraignment April 26.