An Indiana Pacers fan is facing charges after allegedly stabbing two New York Knicks fans during an altercation at a brewery.
24-year-old Jarrett Funke of Carmel, Ind., has been charged with three felonies, including battery with a deadly weapon, for allegedly stabbing a pair of Knicks fans during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, according to David Gay of FOX 59.
The incident started at the bar, where the victims were seated. The victims claim that Funke approached them and smacked a Knicks hat off one of their heads, but was escorted away while cursing at them. Five minutes later, the Knicks fans had moved to a patio, where Funke returned by breaking through a fence and began attacking the two individuals.
One of the Knicks fans brandished a pocket knife in a bid to deter Funke, but the incident escalated, and Funke allegedly stabbed the pair. Court documents said one victim had a stab wound to the back, while the other had a wound on their lower leg.
Funke told police the Knicks fans were the aggressors and punched him in the face, prompting him to defend himself, but multiple witnesses disagreed and called Funke the primary aggressor.
The Eastern Conference Finals have become quite heated off the court, as one Pacers fan was pushed around in New York while attending Game 2. Fortunately, that incident did not arise to the level that this one seemingly did.
The Pacers have a 2-1 lead in the series after the Knicks made a furious comeback in Game 3 to avoid a 3-0 deficit.
