Incident Overview
In a troubling incident linked to the ongoing NBA playoff rivalry between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, law enforcement has arrested a fan from Indiana following a stabbing that injured two Knicks supporters. The altercation occurred on May 23 at a brewery located in Carmel, Indiana, while the Pacers faced off against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden in New York, where the Pacers had just secured a 2-0 series lead.
Allegations and Charges
The alleged assailant, identified as 24-year-old Jarrett Funke from Hamilton County, is facing multiple charges, including battery with a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily harm, along with criminal recklessness involving a deadly weapon.
Details of the Confrontation
Witnesses report that the scuffle began after Funke knocked a Yankees cap off one of the Knicks fans. Although he was initially escorted away from the premises, he reportedly returned to confront the two fans. During the confrontation, one of the victims showed Funke a knife but claimed it was not meant to be used in the fight; he then returned it to his pocket. However, a physical altercation erupted, resulting in Funke allegedly using his knife on both individuals, leading to one sustaining a stab wound to the back and the other suffering a leg laceration.
Self-Defense Claims
Funke, on the other hand, maintains that he acted in self-defense after enduring verbal taunts from the fans, asserting that they punched and shoved him before he felt compelled to brandish his knife. Despite his claims, several eyewitness accounts indicate that Funke may have instigated the violence.
Court Appearance
He is expected to appear in court for a hearing scheduled in Hamilton County on Tuesday afternoon. This incident marks just one of several confrontations between the two fanbases throughout the playoffs; notably, a previous encounter saw a Pacers fan being targeted with trash near Madison Square Garden after the Knicks triumphed over the Boston Celtics in the preceding round.
