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Man still wants to marry fiancée after stabbing

Dawn Tattershall and her fiance, Dale Orrris, of Buffalo Township. She charged with trying to kill him.

BUFFALO TWP — Dale Orris is in love and can't wait to get married. But his wedding will have to wait for now.

His fiancée is charged with trying to kill him.

Buffalo Township police on Monday accused Dawn N. Tattershall, 37, with attempted first-degree murder and other charges. They say she attacked the 53-year-old Orris with a butcher knife.

The alleged attack, according to charging documents, happened June 16 at Orris' home and left him with three stab wounds that needed hospital treatment.

Police said they ended up having to twice Taser Tattershall before she was taken into custody and eventually was admitted to Butler Memorial Hospital for mental health reasons.

Orris, however, claimed police overreacted to the situation, which he described as an “accident”— nothing more.

“This got blown way out of proportion,” he told the Butler Eagle on Friday.

He said he was dumbfounded to learn that Tattershall was charged with his attempted murder.

“She wouldn't do that to me,” he said. “She loves me.”

He defended the woman of his affection against the allegations and seemed to characterize her as every bit the victim as he, maybe more.

Before being taken to the station, documents said, Tattershall told one of the officers that “the voices in her head told her to stab Orris and that she didn't mean to hurt anyone.”

Police Chief Tim Derringer said his department consulted with the Butler County District Attorney's Office before police charged Tattershall with attempted murder of the first degree, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.

Read Orris' account of the event in Monday's Butler Eagle.

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