First of a series of two stories

From Staff Reports 

Five days after the stabbing of a delivery driver, an hour-long Oct. 8 commmunity safety meeting drew a standing-room-turnout of about 45 residents and employees to Valet Gourmet in Asheville’s Montford neighborhood.

After the meeting, Baxter Harrill of Asheville told the Daily Planet that he was stabbed in the lower back about 10:30 p.m. Oct. 3 — apparently with a screwdriver — as he was walking to his vehicle, which was parked near the Elizabeth Street bridge, off Broadway (to the left of — and behind — Valet Gourmet). The stabbing occurred after Harrill had clocked out for the evening.

Harrill said he was leaving Valet Gourmet for the night, when he passed on the sidewalk a black man, about 6 feet tall and “maybe” 200 pounds, who “was hunched over and mumbled.” The suspect was wearing a dark-blue sweatshirt and dirty blues jeans and appeared to be in his 40s, Harrill noted. Neither his money nor any of his possessions were stolen, he said.

After the stabbing, Harrill said he lay on the ground, bleeding, and saw his assailant standing over him briefly, but the man walked away, so Harrill returned to Valet Gourmet, where the doors were locked, and knocked on the windows. At first, he said those inside thought he was making a joke, but they saw that he was serious when he turned around and showed them his blood-soaked shirt.

Within moments, he was transported via Urgent Care to Mission Hospital, where he was treated and released. He returned to work the following Tuesday. The police arrived shortly thereafter, but no suspect could be found.

Asheville Senior Police Officer Todd Brigman told the meeting attendees that APD detectives are continuing to investigate, but have no suspects. Brigman fielded questions and concerns — and offered safety tips. The stabbing was referred to as an apparently “isolated incident.”