A man accused of stabbing a Kansas City policeman with a kitchen knife

Kansas City, Mo. – A man has been charged with stabbing a Kansas City police officer.

Twenty-four-year-old Austin Lewis of Independence was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action Thursday. His bond is set at $ 200,000 cash. No lawyer is listed for her in the online court records.

A police detective wrote in the cause statement that the stabbing occurred Wednesday when an officer was dispatched to a medical call in downtown Kansas City and saw Lewis uncovering an unknown object. The officer was waiting with Lewis for an ambulance, and Lewis got into a pants pocket, pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed the officer in the chest, according to the statement.

The man was then held at gunpoint until more officers arrived, and the injured officer was taken to the hospital for treatment. The officer is recovering.

Lewis told police that he was suicidal and tried to kill himself when approaching the officer. He said he heard voices and felt scared and cornered by the officer and stabbed him.

Police said the incident did not appear to be related to the ongoing protests in Kansas City.