By David Slone
Times-Uniion
SYRACUSE — The Syracuse man who was stabbed Jan. 2 at a Syracuse bar on his wedding day suffered 11 stab wounds.
At approximately 11:37 p.m. on Jan. 2, Kosciusko County Central Dispatch advised law enforcement of a possible stabbing at a Huntington Street business in Syracuse. Syracuse Police Department officers RJ Plummer and Jason Longmire responded, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Upon arrival, Plummer found Allen C. Harper Jr., 34, of 12380 N. Kings Drive, Syracuse on the ground in an alley.
Plummer was told the stabbing victim — Travis Luke, 52, an owner of Huntington Street Bar and Grill, Syracuse — was inside the business. Plummer entered the business and found a woman — later identified as Ashley Huffman — kneeling beside Luke and applying pressure to Luke’s wounds. Huffman said Harper stabbed Luke, according to the court documents.
Upon Longmire’s arrival, he found Harper who appeared unconscious with blood on his hands and clothing on the ground in the alley. Harper also had an injury to his face. Longmire spoke with Harper who said Luke battered him and he stabbed Luke. Harper also stated he was sorry, the probable cause affidavit states.
Emergency medical services arrived, and placed Luke on a medical stretcher and Luke started bleeding from his back. Plummer saw puncture wounds on Luke’s upper left side abdomen and upper left torso. Luke was taken to Lutheran Fort Wayne Hospital. He suffered 11 stab wounds in the torso, some life-threatening, and underwent surgery.
Plummer spoke with a witness who said she saw Harper and Luke fighting outside, saw Luke enter the bar and he was bleeding. The witness also saw Harper outside on the ground in the alley.
Harper was taken to Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital. Court documents state Harper said he stopped by the business to give Luke and Huffman a congratulations card for their wedding. According to court documents, Harper said, “I stabbed the f*** out of him (Luke). He (Luke) was beating the s*** out of me so I grabbed him and stabbed the f*** out of him. I’ll admit that.”
Syracuse Police Det. Joe Keene spoke with Huffman who explained she and Luke were married on Jan. 2 and she was working at the business that evening. She indicated Harper was a previous employee of the business and was at the business Jan. 2 as a patron. Luke asked Harper to leave the business. Huffman said she stood by the cash register when Harper pulled out a knife from his waistband. Huffman asked Harper if he was serious, and Harper returned the knife to his waistband, put on his coat and headed toward the side exit door. Huffman heard Harper say something as he exited the business. She indicated Luke heard Harper and Luke followed Harper out the side exit door to the alley. Huffman said she saw through the side doorway that Harper was on the ground and Luke stood there, holding his back that was bleeding.
Keene read Harper his Miranda Rights, Harper indicated he understood them and Harper did not want to speak with law enforcement, according to court documents.
Keene spoke with another witness who said he was playing pool with Luke and that Luke said he was going to remove Harper from the business. Luke spoke with Harper and returned to the pool table. The witness saw Harper walk toward the door when he turned around said, “F*** you,” and Harper called Luke and Huffman a b****. The witness explained Luke then took off towards the door and exited the business behind Harper.
The witness exited the building, and heard Luke say to Harper, “You f***** stabbed me you f****** piece of s***.”
Law enforcement obtained video surveillance from the alley that recorded the altercation. The video showed Harper exiting the business and Luke followed him out the door. Harper turned to face Luke and started stabbing Luke multiple times in the abdomen and torso area.
An initial hearing before Kosciusko Superior Court I Judge Karin McGrath was scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.
Harper was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 2:58 a.m. Jan. 3 for felony battery committed with a deadly weapon with an initial bond set at $10,000 surety and $250 cash.
At 1:32 p.m. Wednesday, Harper was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail for aggravated battery with a bond set for $20,000 surety and $250 cash.
Harper was issued a “no contact” order with Luke upon Harper’s release from custody.
