LAKELAND, Fla. — A man is facing attempted murder charges after police said he stabbed a person in the back multiple times at a nightclub in Polk County.
Just after midnight Saturday, the Lakeland Police Department responded to reports of the stabbing at Wild Greg's Saloon, located off of Highway 98 North. After arriving, they reportedly found a 22-year-old man with multiple stab wounds.
The victim told officers he got into a "verbal altercation" with another man who he did not know in the outside patio area. Shortly after going back inside the bar, the victim reportedly told police someone grabbed him from behind and stabbed him in the back about four times before fleeing.
The victim was taken to Lakeland Regional Health where police said he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the agency, multiple witnesses confirmed that the suspect was 24-year-old Johnnie Brown IV of Winter Haven.
Following his arrest, authorities said Brown refused to do an interview with detectives and was taken to Polk County Jail where he now faces attempted murder with a deadly weapon. Police also noted a bias enhancement after a witness reported Brown making a racial slur just before the stabbing.
An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with more information on the stabbing is asked to contact Detective Derek Gulledge at derek.gulledge@lakelandgov.net.
