The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after Sheriff Thomas Ballinger and a deputy were stabbed while responding to a suspicious person complaint Tuesday morning in Congress Township.
Authorities said the incident happened around 11 a.m. on Congress Road when the sheriff and deputy encountered a man reported as suspicious. During the response, the suspect allegedly produced a knife and attacked both officers.
Ballinger suffered a stab wound to the arm, while the deputy was stabbed in the groin, according to reports. Both were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Information on their conditions was not immediately available.
According to News 5 Cleveland, a Wayne County Sheriff’s Office employee described the incident as serious and confirmed an active investigation was underway as of early afternoon.
The suspect had not been taken into custody as of the latest reports.
Additional details, including the identity of the suspect and circumstances leading up to the confrontation, have not yet been released.
