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Police: Teen Stabs Father With Sword In School Attendance Dispute

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DERRY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – A teenager is being charged as an adult for allegedly stabbing his father with a sword in a dispute over school attendance.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident happened on Jan. 31, in Derry Township.

Police were initially called to a home on Poplar Street around 5:30 p.m. for a reported domestic stabbing.

When they arrived, they found the victim, Andrew Turner III, in the middle of the street holding his abdomen. The man told police his son had stabbed him with a sword.

The man said he and his son, 17-year-old Andrew Turner IV, were arguing about school attendance. During the argument, the man told his son that if he didn't straighten up his act, he would be "restricting his media privileges." The man left and went back downstairs.

"This was over the lack of attendance at school, and because of that, he was going to take away the child's laptop," said Trooper Stephen Limani, of Pennsylvania State Police.

blairsville sword attack
(Photo Credit: Ross Guidotti/KDKA)

At that time, Turner threw a small refrigerator, a barbell with weights and other items down the stairs.

"He had thrown multiple items in the house," said Trooper Limani. "Obviously, he became extremely irate."

When the victim walked back up the stairs, Turner allegedly stabbed him with the sword. Then, Turner allegedly said, "You gonna take my [expletive] from me?"

The victim was able to climb out a window and run to a nearby relative's house to call police.

Turner was eventually located and arrested in a wooded area behind his home. He told police he threw the sword into the grass next to the home.

Turner is charged as an adult and faces counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment. He's being held on bond at a juvenile detention facility.

As for the elder Turner, police say he will recover.

"He's recovering from his injuries from what we understand, and he should make a full recovery," Trooper Limani said.

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