CHARLOTTE — Two men have been charged in connection with a stabbing near a southwest Charlotte Walmart that led to a police chase in a stolen car, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.
Officers responded Monday morning to the scene at the Whitehall Commons shopping center on South Tryon Street near Interstate 485. Police said they found a man who had been stabbed several times. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Channel 9′s veteran crime reporter Glenn Counts learned the argument that led to the attack started over football.
The victim said he jumped from the car to save himself.
“Your adrenaline starts pumping to where, at the time, I really didn’t feel anything, cause I’m in defense mode,” the stabbing victim said in an interview only on Channel 9.
On Monday morning, the 39-year-old man said he had to fight for his life.
Channel 9 is keeping the man anonymous, because he doesn’t want to be identified after being seriously hurt.
“I got stabbed in my leg twice and my arm,” he said.
Two men -- Quinton “Qu” Fredlaw and Donnell Harris -- have been arrested by CMPD.
“I feel pretty safe now and I feel like they did a good job by getting these criminals off the street,” the victim said.
They led police on a short chase before Fredlaw ran from the car before being caught later. Harris was identified as the driver and arrested at the scene.
He and another witness told detectives that they saw the victim and Fredlaw fighting in the backseat, CMPD said. Both said they were unaware the victim has been stabbed and that he exited the vehicle.
The victim said the argument began over football.
“I’m joking and playing around, you know, and as I’m joking and playing around I could tell he’s really getting kind of heated and I’m a man, so I’m gonna try and defend myself,” he said.
The fight started and the man was stabbed in the backseat. He then jumped from the car to avoid more serious wounds.
“Anywhere closer to my chest, or to my face, or that kind of situation, and when I had the chance just got out of there,” he said
The man thanked shoppers who came to his aid. He said he lost lots of blood, but expects to make a full recovery.
A witness told Channel 9′s Dan Matics earlier this week that he was riding his bike next to the road when he saw the vehicle also crash into the 7-Eleven, and said he could have easily been hit.
“Yeah, he was going crazy, man … fast as hell,” Mario Bennett said. “I saw a car going crazy, and he tore that wall up, and he backed up out of there, tore down Tyvola and went through the woods over there.”
Police said Fredlaw was taken into custody on Tuesday. Harris was arrested following the chase.
Fredlaw was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and resisting a public officer. Harris was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, flee/eluding arrest, hit and run leaving property damage and resisting a public officer.
(WATCH BELOW: 1 student dies, another hurt in stabbing at NC high school, police chief says; student arrested)
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