A Hartselle man is in jail after being accused of slashing his friend’s neighbor with a utility knife in Decatur early Friday morning.

John Jacob Holland

John Jacob Holland, 26, of 1605 Nethery Road in Hartselle was charged with second degree assault. He is being held on a $2,500 bond.

Around 6 a.m. Friday, a female resident at Cedar Key Apartments on Cedar Lake Road in SW Decatur became involved in a verbal argument with her downstairs neighbor, William Knox. The woman went downstairs to confront Knox outside of his apartment as he was leaving for work.

Police said the woman and Knox got into a heated argument. Holland, who is friends with the woman, came downstairs from the woman’s apartment to assist in the argument.

All three became involved in a fight, during which Holland retrieved a blue handled folding utility knife with a razor blade and slashed Knox across the right side of his chest.

Holland went back upstairs with the woman to her apartment and hid the knife under a bed.

Knox was transported to Decatur Morgan Hospital – Parkway campus for treatment. He received 15 staples to close the wound on his chest.

The knife believed to have been used in the assault was recovered from the apartment.