An officer with the Rochester (NY) Police Department was stabbed on Sunday while responding to a 911 call of a man—possibly under the influence of illegal narcotics—smashing car windows, reports ABC News.
According to WHEC, Jamal Dima, 20, pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated attempted assault of a police officer in court Tuesday.
Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary says 22-year veteran Officer Brian Cala and Officer Louis Mastrangelo, a 12-year veteran, were approaching the door of a home when a man armed with a knife emerged and attacked them, stabbing Officer Cala.
The chief says Cala followed protocol by knocking, then moving away from the door of the home. However, the chief says Dima lunged at Officer Cala with a 5-inch knife and stabbed Cala in the cheek.
Reports say Cala fired his weapon five times and struck Dima once, but the suspect ran off. He was later captured and taken to the hospital. Cala and Dima were both treated and released from the hospital.
"He tried to do the best he could to deflect the situation, but when you get stabbed in the face, his reaction was to pull his service weapon as he was trained," Singletary said. "He was facing a vicious attack."
Dima is being held in the Monroe County Jail on $75,000 cash or $150,000 bond. He's due back in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing.
