A New Jersey man slept for around 10 hours before he realized a knife had been stuck in his back.
The 42-year-old Trenton resident awoke on Sunday morning with intense back pain, according to police spokesperson Lt. Mark Kieffer, who spoke with NJ.com. It wasn't until he talked to his brother that he realized what the problem was.
"His brother said he had a knife blade protruding from his back," Kieffer reported.
The victim was stabbed on the porch of his house on North Clinton Avenue at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, after a night of drinking. He went out on his porch to smoke a cigarette, NJ.com reported.
Another man then walked up to him and asked for a lighter. When the victim said no, the two exchanged words, then began engaging in a physical fight. As the two continued throwing punches and the victim started to gain control of his attacker, the assailant suddenly ran away.
"He said, 'I'm not chasing after the guy,'" Kieffer told NJ.com of the victim.
He went to sleep shortly thereafter, and reportedly slumbered soundly for 10 hours before he woke up to find a five-inch blade stuck in his back. The victim called law enforcement to his home at about noon on Sunday and was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center to have doctors remove the blade.
Specifics on the weapon have not yet been released, police told NJ.com.
Medical experts reported that the man will live through his wounds, and will soon be able to return home from the hospital.
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