CARMEL – Screams rang out at the Carmel Post Office on Thursday afternoon after a man stabbed a postal employee inside the Fair Street facility in the Putnam County seat.
Around 3 p.m. nine-one-one calls reporting a “man stabbing people” sent members of the Carmel Police and Putnam Sheriff’s Department to the scene.
Sources told Mid-Hudson News that Sheriff Brian Hess and a deputy sheriff were among the first to arrive and the deputy captured the suspect as he tried to flee. The weapon used in the attack was recovered after a brief struggle in which a Taser was deployed.
The suspect, who was not identified, was taken into custody facing a variety of charges.
The victim was taken to Putnam Hospital Center with injuries described as not life-threatening.
Carmel Police are handling the investigation. Sergeant Erin Macom described the incident as being “isolated with no threat to the community.”
Mark Lawrence, a regional representative for the U.S. Postal Service, said, “Because this is a criminal matter, questions should be directed to the Postal Inspection Service.”
That agency did not respond to an email request Thursday evening.
Downtown Carmel resembled a war zone in the minutes following the attack with police cars and ambulances rushing to the scene and Fair Street cordoned off from Route 52 to Vink Drive. The downtown area remained closed for two hours on Thursday.
Kayla Petrocine, who lives near the post office, said, “Police cars flew by my house,” adding that the scene resembled a cops-and-robbers thriller.
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