Police officer critical after a weekend stabbing in South Jersey, authorities say

A Camden County police officer was in critical condition Monday after a South Jersey man stabbed him in the neck Sunday night in Camden, authorities said.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Officer Josh McKnight was conducting a business check in the area of Broadway and Chestnut Street when, without provocation, Richard Dennis, of Sicklerville, stabbed him in the neck, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said.

McKnight, 23, a Marine veteran who has been with the department for two years, was rushed to Cooper University Hospital and was in critical condition Monday afternoon, but improving, said Dan Keashen, spokesperson for Camden County.

Dennis, 38, was arrested minutes after the attack a few blocks away in the area of South Seventh Street and Kaighn Avenue, the prosecutor’s office said. He was charged with attempted murder and related crimes and was taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing, authorities said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kristen Blantz of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 856-225-8642 or contact Detective Michael Amador of the Camden County Police Department. Tips can also be submitted at camdencountypros.org/tips.

Camden County Commissioner Louis Cappelli Jr. issued a statement offering support for McKnight and his family as the officer recovers.

“The men and women of this department put their lives on the line every day for our community and this suspect tried to undermine their service by brutally attacking and trying to kill one of our officers last night,” Cappelli said.

“We have rooted ourselves as an agency in community policing, which is what Officer McKnight was doing at the time of the attack, but this heinous crime will not deter us from our goals and objectives of engaging residents and building bridges in every corner of the city,” Cappelli said.

Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this story.