Chillicothe Police Refute Stabbing Rumors Outside Donald Trump Rally
Police said an intervening officer's pocketknife caught on a man's shirt during an altercation outside the Shoemaker Center.
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe on Oct. 28, 2026.
Credit: Derek Myers / Scioto Valley Guardian Image source
The Chillicothe Police Department denied viral claims that a Donald Trump supporter was stabbed outside a presidential rally on Wednesday, stating that footage instead showed an officer's pocketknife caught on a man's shirt during a fight. The altercation occurred outside the Shoemaker Center on the Ohio University Chillicothe campus, where Trump addressed supporters on Wednesday evening.
Capt. Michael Short of the Chillicothe Police Department told Newsweek that there was no stabbing. The department said an officer intervened to break up an altercation between two people when the retention clip on the officer's pocketknife caught on one of the individuals' shirts, adding that the knife did not open.
Viral speculation spread online after video from outside the venue prompted claims of a stabbing before police issued their explanation. In the footage, a young man told police, "I think I've been stabbed," and asked, "Is there a knife in my back?" while an officer checked his body for wounds. Cameras captured an orange pocketknife handle sticking out from the man's shirt as onlookers called for an arrest. Conservative activist Tyer Bowyer shared the footage on X, claiming that a supporter had been stabbed by an anti-Trump individual.
The incident occurred as Trump visited Chillicothe as part of a campaign tour ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 3. His appearance also drew a small group of protesters, the Scioto Valley Guardian reported.
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https://www.newsweek.com/police-deny-stabbing-at-trump-rally-after-video-sparks-claims-12634836
Supporting evidence (9)
The Chillicothe Police Department denied viral claims that a Donald Trump supporter was stabbed outside a presidential rally on Wednesday, stating that footage instead showed an officer's pocketknife caught on a man's shirt during a fight.
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Police in Ohio have denied viral claims that a Donald Trump supporter was stabbed outside a presidential rally on Wednesday, saying footage of the incident instead showed an officer's pocketknife caught on a man's shirt during a fight. The Chillicothe Police Department said an officer intervened to break up an altercation between two people when the retention clip securing the officer's pocketknife became caught in one of the individuals' shirts.
The altercation occurred outside the Shoemaker Center on the Ohio University Chillicothe campus, where Trump addressed supporters on Wednesday evening.
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The account contradicts claims circulating on social media that a Trump supporter was stabbed outside the rally while the president addressed supporters at the Shoemaker Center on the Ohio University Chillicothe campus on Wednesday evening.
Capt. Michael Short of the Chillicothe Police Department told Newsweek that there was no stabbing.
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"There was no stabbing," Micheal Short, a captain at the Chillicothe Police Department, told Newsweek.
The department said an officer intervened to break up an altercation between two people when the retention clip on the officer's pocketknife caught on one of the individuals' shirts, adding that the knife did not open.
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The Chillicothe Police Department said an officer intervened to break up an altercation between two people when the retention clip securing the officer's pocketknife became caught in one of the individuals' shirts. The knife did not open, the department said.
Viral speculation spread online after video from outside the venue prompted claims of a stabbing before police issued their explanation.
Read supporting passage
The video prompted speculation about what had happened outside the venue, with claims of a stabbing spreading before police issued their explanation.
In the footage, a young man told police, "I think I've been stabbed," and asked, "Is there a knife in my back?"
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The chaotic footage, in which Trump can be heard speaking in the background, showed a young man asking police officers "Is there a knife in my back?", and telling them "I think I've been stabbed." An officer is seen flashing a torch onto the man while checking his body for wounds as onlookers gathered around in shock.
Cameras captured an orange pocketknife handle sticking out from the man's shirt as onlookers called for an arrest.
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A spat erupts between onlookers and police officers as they call for an individual to be arrested at the scene. The man who was believed to have been stabbed then sits on the side of the pavement as cameras flash around him, capturing the sight of an orange pocketknife handle sticking out from his black T-shirt.
Conservative activist Tyer Bowyer shared the footage on X, claiming that a supporter had been stabbed by an anti-Trump individual.
Read supporting passage
Conservative activist Tyer Bowyer shared the footage of the incident on X, claiming that a Trump supporter had been stabbed by an anti-Trump individual.
The incident occurred as Trump visited Chillicothe as part of a campaign tour ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
Read supporting passage
The incident occurred as Trump visited Chillicothe as part of his campaigning blitz ahead of the midterms elections on November 3.
Supporting evidence (1)
His appearance also drew a small group of protesters, the Scioto Valley Guardian reported.
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Trump's visit drew a small group of protesters ... the Scioto Valley Guardian reported.