Washington County man facing multiple charges in stabbing of a police officer

A 29-year-old man is in custody on charges that he allegedly stabbing a Nashville Police Department officer in the neck overnight Tuesday.

According to the press release from the department’s Facebook page, Stanley E. Underwood, 29, of Nashville is being held in the Washington County Jail on two counts of aggravated battery on a peace officer and one count of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, a Class X felony.

Bond is set at $500,000.

“Obviously he got to one of our own, which unfortunately happens,” Nashville Police Department Lt. Brock Styninger told Fox 2. “You know, we’re human beings too. It happened to one of us, but obviously, our next concern on top of the officer and his injuries is taking the suspect into custody peacefully and him not escaping to allow for anyone else to be placed in danger in a hostage situation or anything like that. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”

According to KMOV 4, officers responded to a wellness check and made contact with Stanley down the street from his apartment in Nashville around 10 p.m. Tuesday and took him into protective custody.

Officers accommodated Stanley’s request to gather items from his residence that was just up the road, the Nashville Police Department release noted; officers then transported Stanley to his residence.

According to the press release, while at the residence, officers allowed Stanley to get a drink and secure his apartment. During this time, Stanley was able to quickly retrieve a hidden knife from within the apartment and allegedly stabbed the officer in the neck.

The suspect then barricaded himself inside a bathroom still armed with the knife, the release stated. That’s when the injured officer and a Nashville police lieutenant called for emergency assistance and EMS to respond.

Numerous assisting agencies and Washington County EMS arrived and quickly transported the officer to a St. Louis hospital where he was treated and released Wednesday morning.

According to KMOV, around 1:30 a.m., members of SWAT and negotiators from the area agencies assembled to end the standoff, which ended just before 4 a.m. Wednesday.

The Nashville PD received additional assistance from several surrounding municipalities, sheriff’s offices, Illinois State Police, EMS agencies and the Nashville Fire Department. Also responding was the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority for a SWAT team before taking over the standoff where Stanley eventually came out of the bathroom and surrendered peacefully.

“This officer is expected to make a full recovery and return to work in the near future,” the department release stated. “We want to thank all assisting agencies for responding to assist our department with this incident and with taking this individual into custody peacefully.”