Charles Co. Patrol Officers Apprehend Suspect in Stabbing Case with Help from a Police Dispatcher and Bus Driver

newsBot · May 12, 2022

On May 9 at 7:30 p.m., officers responded to Charles Regional Medical Center for the report of a stabbing victim who had been transported to the hospital by a relative. When officers arrived, they learned the victim had actually been stabbed at the Smallwood Park and Ride in Waldorf. A preliminary investigation showed the victim and an unknown suspect were arguing in the parking lot of the Park and Ride when the suspect stabbed the victim with an unknown object. The victim’s cousin, who was nearby, drove him to the hospital where he was treated for injuries and later released. This information was relayed to a civilian Police Communications Officer (PCO) – a police dispatcher – who then took it upon herself to immediately review footage from a surveillance camera that covers the Smallwood Park and Ride parking lot. She was able to find the assault on the footage she reviewed and provide officers with a detailed description of the suspect including the clothing he was wearing. Officers canvassed the area and spoke with witnesses. Several hours later, a bus driver, who was aware of the assault, observed the suspect and notified the police. Officers responded to the Park and Ride and located the suspect, who was still wearing the same clothing he wore when the attack occurred. The suspect, James Pernell Knott, Jr., 27, of Indian Head, was arrested without incident. “This was an outstanding arrest in that the police dispatcher took quick and immediate action on her own in an attempt to identify the suspect. The bus driver followed through by calling officers when he observed the suspect in the parking lot the next day,” said Sheriff Troy Berry. “ Due to the teamwork, a dangerous person was quickly apprehended,” Sheriff Berry said. Knott was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree assault. On May 10, a district court commissioner ordered Knott to be held at the Charles County Detention Center without bond.

James Purnell Knott, Jr.

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The Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: https://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at https://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at https://so.md/expungeme.