A Tempe police officer was stabbed while responding to a domestic dispute Tuesday afternoon.
Tempe police officers arrived to the home in the 600 block of E. Weber Road about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and heard screams for help from inside.
"They forced entry, and just as they forced entry, they were attacked by the suspect. The suspect had a knife and did injure one of our officers, and at that point other officers began firing multiple rounds at the suspect," Tempe Police Department Lt. Mike Pooley said.
The suspect was shot by police and has died. He was identified as 26-year-old Matthew Metz.
Officers found Metz's 25-year-old girlfriend tied up and stabbed. She is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
The officer is also in stable condition and expected to be OK, Tempe police said. She has been identified as Officer Julie Werhnyak. She released this statement.
Thank you for all the well wishes, thoughts, prayers and support. I am doing well, but have a lot of recovery time in front of me. I am thankful and relieved the other victim in this case will survive her injuries and get an opportunity at a full recovery with me. I am also thankful for my fellow officers who did an amazing job yesterday.
Werhnyak has been a member of the Tempe Police Department for 16 years and is currently in the patrol bureau. She has been assigned to the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and has worked in Tempe police's Professional Development Division, as a Recruiter and as a Field Training Officer. She has received multiple commendations and departmental team awards. Prior to working for the City of Tempe, she was a police officer in Ohio.
Tempe Police Dept. said Werhnyak is passionate about teaching and holds certifications in the following areas: Defensive Tactics, Force on Force, Impact Weapon, Firearms, Confrontational Simulations, High Risk Vehicle Stops and Crisis Negotiations. In addition, she has practiced and taught martial arts for over 30 years and is a two time member of the United States National Taekwondo Team.
Werhnyak is a "Subject Matter" expert in physical fitness for the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board and a certified Crew Member Self Defense Instructor for the Federal Air Marshals. She is the chair of the Training and Retention Committee for the Women's Initiative Network (POST), and a member of the department's Defensive Tactics Review Committee and the Tempe 101 Network, which provides mentoring and support to new officers and does training on leadership development.
Tempe police said Metz and his girlfriend had been together for a few years, and there was no history of domestic violence.
Read more: http://www.fox10tv.com/story/28252656/tempe-officer-stabbed-responding-to-domestic-dispute#ixzz3TWqfSf5i
