BLOOMINGTON – An 18-year-old Lawrence County resident, Braxton Pavey of Bedford, has been arrested and charged with felony battery with a deadly weapon after a 19-year-old Spencer man was stabbed in an alley near Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington during the early hours of June 7.
Police are continuing to seek two other suspects involved in the attack.
The victim was reportedly attacked by three men around 1:30 a.m. in the alley behind businesses in the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue. He was hit in the face, knocked to the ground, kicked, and then stabbed once in the back. The stab wound was described as 3-centimeters deep, just left of his spine. Friends drove the victim to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he was treated and later released. He also sustained abrasions, bruises, and cuts from the beating.
According to a police report, the incident began after an exchange of heckling between two groups of men. The victim stated that around 1 a.m., while walking back to his car, he again encountered the three men who began yelling at him. He was then “blindsided” by a punch to the face, knocking him to the ground, where he was kicked and stabbed.
During their investigation, officers found the suspect’s shoe, hat, and debit card left behind at the scene. Security camera footage and the debit card information led officers to a house in Bedford, where Pavey was questioned and arrested.
Pavey was booked into the Monroe County Jail at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 8. He admitted to detectives that he had a pocketknife and “used the knife and didn’t know if the victim was standing up or lying on the ground” when the stabbing occurred. He reportedly told a detective, “I wanted to make it the best I could for us … I didn’t want them to win,” and “When it comes down to it, if you’re a threat, I’ve got to neutralize you.”
Pavey was officially charged Monday in Monroe County Court with one count of battery with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony. His bond was set at $10,500. If convicted of a Level 5 felony, Pavey could face up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. According to online court records, his only previous criminal charge was unlawful tobacco possession by a minor in 2023 in Lawrence County.
A Probable Cause Affidavit outlines the initial findings and allegations that led to an arrest. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
