CINCINNATI — Demetrius Baker, the 43-year-old man who was shot and tased by Cincinnati police officers on Thursday at Lafeuille Apartments, was charged with two counts of felonious assault for allegedly stabbing his brother-in-law and sister.
All three were treated and released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The brother-in-law who was stabbed had surgery on Thursday, according to Executive Assistant Chief with the Cincinnati Police Department Teresa Theetge at a press conference on Friday. He suffered a stab wound to the abdomen. The sister was stabbed in the upper arm.
The attack happened after a family disagreement. Police received a 911 call from a juvenile girl at the Lafeuille Apartment complex on Lafeuille Circle in Westwood who said someone in the residence was trying to stab other people.
Baker was shot and tased simultaneously by two officers. Theetge said Baker had crossed the threshold for approaching officers with a weapon. She showed body camera footage from officers of the incident in which it appeared that around 10 seconds elapsed between the time officers asked Baker to drop his knife and when they fired.
Police recovered a butcher knife and a utility knife.
"He was ordered to drop the knife numerous times," Theetge said. "He was tased and shot with one round and taken to UC Medical Center, where he was treated and immediately released."
Baker has a previous criminal history, including a felonious assault charge, a domestic violence charge and a charge of assaulting a law officer.
Theetge praised the girl who called 911 for keeping calm and relaying details to police so they could identify Baker when they arrived on scene.
A neighbor said she heard the argument before police arrived on scene, saying she is thankful no one was seriously hurt — including the suspect.
"With family, it's a little tricky," she said. "You know, family, you're lovey and you hate...but you never expect things to end like this and for things to go down the road like this. So I'm just going to say I'm going to pray for everybody involved."
