CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion woman who was arrested for stabbing a man on Monday evening told police that she was acting in self-defense.

According to court documents, the Clarion Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 40-year-old Deana Lee Ridge on November 24.

The charges stem from a domestic incident that occurred in Clarion Borough during the evening of Monday, November 23.

According to a criminal complaint, around 7:30 p.m. on November 23, Clarion Borough Police and Clarion EMS were dispatched to a residence at Penn Court Apartments for an active domestic incident involving a stabbing. Clarion University Police and Clarion-based State Police were also called to assist at the scene.

The complaint states that at the scene, police found a white male victim with blood all over his clothing, holding a blood-soaked towel to his back. The victim then told police he had been stabbed and said he “wasn’t doing anything.”

Police found that he had an inch-long laceration to his lower back, above his left buttock, that was steadily bleeding, according to the complaint.

He was instructed to keep the towel over the wound and apply pressure while waiting for EMS to arrive.

Police then went into the living room of the residence, where they found blood on the floor in drops and puddles the entire way out into the kitchen, where they found a woman, identified as Deana Ridge, crying by the rear door.

Ridge told police she had the knife and that “it was self-defense.” She also stated that the male victim was trying to choke her, according to the complaint.

Police did not observe any injuries to Ridge, the complaint notes.

Ridge also told police the male victim previously hurt her the prior Wednesday and showed police black and blue marks on her legs, the complaint indicates.

EMS then arrived at the scene and transported the male victim to the Clarion Emergency Room for further treatment after advising that he needed stitches.

At the scene, police photographed the blood on the floors, the knife used, and the blood discovered on cupboard doors.

According to the complaint, the knife was from a butcher block and had a blade of approximately 12 inches in length. It also had blood on it from the tip to the handle. It was seized as evidence.

Police also found a liquor bottle on the kitchen table with a blood spot on it. Ridge told police the victim was still drinking after he was stabbed while waiting for the ambulance, the complaint notes.

Ridge was then asked to complete a statement about the events of the night.

According to the complaint, Ridge reported that the victim had been drinking since approximately 4:30 p.m. She told police she was in the kitchen when the victim grabbed her cell phone from her hand and held it under water. She said he then came at her with his arm outstretched to choke her “again,” and her first instinct was to grab a weapon because “this was not the first time.”

Ridge later clarified that

the “again” statement about choking her referred to an incident where the victim choked her the previous Wednesday, the complaint states.

Ridge reported the victim was in the corner when she grabbed the knife “to defend” herself. She said he then stumbled backward toward her, and she felt the knife go into him. She then called 9-1-1, according to the complaint.

Ridge stated she did not mean to stab the victim; he just backed up into the knife she was holding, the complaint states.

Ridge was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn at 12:00 a.m. on November 24, on the following charges:

– Aggravated Assault — Attempts to Cause Serious Bodily Injury or Causes Injury With Extreme Indifference, Felony 1
– Aggravated Assault — Attempts to Cause or Causes Bodily Injury with Deadly Weapon, Felony 2
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
– Harassment — Subject Other to Physical Contact, Summary

Unable to post $25,000.00 monetary bail, she was lodged in the Clarion County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on December 1, with Judge Quinn presiding.