Report of second stabbing on Sunday false, police say

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point police say a second stabbing incident did not occur as it was reported on Sunday.

Police were called to the St. Michael’s Hospital emergency room at 3:39 a.m. after a 33-year-old man appeared for treatment of a stabbing injury to his arm. The man, identified by police as Kyle Holdeman, told police he was stabbed on the 900 block of Main St. sometime after a more violent knife attack at Polito’s Pizza.

According to Assistant Police Chief Tom Zenner, Holdeman was standing line for the men’s room inside the pizza parlor when Joseph Stalnaker, 28, cut in line. While Stalnaker was in the bathroom, Holdeman forced his way in to confront the suspect and a physical altercation ensued.

A third man, Kurtis Johnson, 24, intervened to stop the altercation. In the process he was stabbed in the neck, requiring 12 internal sutures and 21 staples to close a gaping wound from behind his left ear to jawline. Johnson remains in the hospital.

It was later determined Johnson and Holdeman were roommates. All three men are Stevens Point residents.

After multiple interviews police say they discovered Holdeman actually received his injury while in the men’s room, but wasn’t aware of his wound until after he left the restaurant.

“He indicated that he provided the false information because he felt responsible for Johnson,” Zenner said, adding multiple detectives and patrol officers investigated Holdeman’s story for about 20 hours.

Stalnaker is being charged with first-degree attempted intentional homicide for his alleged role in the attack. He is being held behind bars on $50,000 cash bond.

Zenner said police plan to request charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice against Holdeman, and may also charge him with filing a false police report, but they are still investigating.