Man touches another man’s hair without permission and is stabbed hours later, cops say

A man was arrested after police in Indiana say he stabbed another man who touched his hair without permission.

Ryan Johnson, 36, faces an attempted murder charge following the incident on Jan. 1 in Bloomington, police said in a Jan. 8 news release.

The victim, a 32-year-old man, said he was walking toward a bar when he came upon Johnson, according to police. The 32-year-old asked Johnson if he could touch his hair, and Johnson said no.

But police said the 32-year-old man touched Johnson’s hair anyway, leading to a verbal exchange between the two men. The 32-year-old man apologized and the two went their separate ways.

They ran into one another again a few hours later, according to police. The victim was bumped into by Johnson, who continued walking, police said in the news release.

“The victim immediately began feeling pain in his abdomen and lifted his shirt, where he observed a significant wound and realized that he had been stabbed,” police said.

A good Samaritan who called 911 told officers he saw Johnson holding a knife in an alleyway after the stabbing, according to police.

Police identified Johnson by reviewing surveillance footage, and officers arrested him without incident on Saturday, Jan. 7, police said. He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and battery with a deadly weapon.

Investigators did not provide an update on the condition of the victim.

Bloomington is about 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Man touches another man’s hair without permission and is stabbed hours later, cops say."