ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida deputy is recovering in the hospital after being stabbed in the neck while investigating a crash.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, at around 11 p.m. Wednesday deputies responded to a rollover crash on South Indian River Drive. Witnesses would tell law enforcement that a woman had left the area, down an embankment.
Deputy Cody Colangelo would head down to the shoreline and found an "emotional" 21-year-old Leigha Michelle Day, the sheriff's office says. The two had a brief conversation at which point the deputy instructed the woman to leave the area and head back to his car.
While on the back to the scene of the crash, the sheriff's office says Day turned around and stabbed Deputy Colangelo in the neck. Authorities say the knife used in the stabbing "nicked" the deputy's carotid artery.
Colangelo would grab his gun and fire a shot, according to the sheriff's office. The single bullet would miss Day as she ran away.
Law enforcement says Deputy Colangelo while putting pressure on a "life-threatening" injury, chased after Day. Once he lost sight of her, authorities say he still calmly instructed other deputies where to go find her.
Authorities would find Day hiding near an embankment where she was taken into custody.
The sheriff's office says Colangelo underwent hours of surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Day is currently being charged with attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.
