A street fight in Butler turned from punches thrown to a knife swung, leaving a 23-year-old Slippery Rock man hospitalized with four stab wounds and a collapsed lung, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing Monday.

District Judge William Fullerton later ordered David N. Demharter, 22, of Butler, held for trial on felony and misdemeanor assault charges in the late night, April 27, incident in the city's Island neighborhood.

Patrolman Michael Sulerud testified that he spoke to the victim, Jacob R. Trinkley, at Butler Memorial Hospital, where police first learned of the stabbing.

“He was foggy with details,” Sulerud said of Trinkley, blaming that on the man's condition from the injuries.

The officer testified he initially saw two stab wounds, but later learned Trinkley was stabbed four times — twice in the left chest and once each in the stomach and left groin.

Trinkley was subsequently taken to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for further treatment. He attended Monday's hearing, but did not testify.

During the investigation, police reviewed video footage from city surveillance cameras in the area of the incident. Sulerud said the video captured “the whole thing.”

He said Trinkley and a group of his friends and Demharter and a group of his friends converged at the intersection of South Chestnut and Shore streets. The ensuing fight was “premeditated,” he said.

“There were some fists thrown,” Sulerud testified about what he saw on the video, “and then you could see David Demharter stabbing the victim, Mr. Trinkley.” The incident happened around 11:45 p.m.

On cross-examination by Demharter's attorney, public defender Michael McFarland, the officer acknowledged Trinkley started the altercation with the defendant after they squared off at the intersection.

“That's whenever Mr. Trinkley started swinging at Demharter, and Demharter started swinging with the knife,” the officer said, adding that it appeared the victim punched Demharter more than one time.

“(The defendant) is being actively punched when you observe what it appears to be him stabbing Mr. Trinkley,” McFarland asked.

“Yes,” Sulerud answered.

The officer told prosecutor Laura Pitchford, a county assistant district attorney, that after Demharter stabbed Trinkley, the victim stopped punching the defendant.

“Does Mr. Demharter continue to stab Mr. Trinkley after that?” Pitchford asked.

“Yes,” Sulerud said.

The two groups eventually broke up. Police said they later found blood on the street at the intersection.

Demharter called 911 about 4 a.m. April 28 to speak to authorities about the incident. He eventually appeared at the police station and talked with officers.

“(He) admitted to using a knife after Mr. Trinkley began swinging fists at him,” Sulerud testified. “(He) pulled a knife out and he did recall making contact with the knife to Mr. Trinkley multiple times.”

Following testimony, McFarland asked Fullerton to dismiss the top count, aggravated assault, calling the incident a “mutual combat scenario” that was more a simple assault case.

“It appears that (Trinkley) initiated this fight and came with a group of people to begin this fight,” McFarland said. “He was actively punching Mr. Demharter when (the defendant) then used a knife and stabbed him in self-defense.”

“Mr. Demharter brought a knife to a fist fight, and therefore I think the aggravated assault charge is appropriate,” Pitchford countered.

Demharter has been in the Butler County Prison since his arrest in the suspected stabbing. State police April 29 filed unrelated charges against him, alleging he had sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2019.

Police said that during their investigation, he admitted he had sex with the girl after he met her at a party at a Slippery Rock Township apartment complex in March or April of last year.

At a preliminary hearing May 6, District Judge William O'Donnell of Slippery Rock ordered Demharter held for court on felony charges of statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors.

He is in the county prison on a combined $125,000 bail in both cases.