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Officer helps mom who ran into Chick-fil-A after stabbing
Off-duty police officers having lunch inside an Acworth restaurant applied a tourniquet to a mother who ran inside after being stabbed at least 10 times. Deputies tracked the fleeing suspect north on Interstate 75 using automated license plate readers.
ACWORTH, Ga. - A 21-year-old Wisconsin woman is in custody after allegedly stabbing her mother at least 10 times in a Cherokee County Chick-fil-A parking lot on Thursday.
Cherokee County Chick-fil-A stabbing
What we know:
A mother and daughter from Wisconsin were driving and arguing in their car when they pulled into the Chick-fil-a on Highway 92.
The dispute escalated in the parking lot, where 21-year-old Shyanniah Johnson allegedly stabbed her 39-year-old mother at least 10 times.
The mother ran inside the restaurant covered in blood to seek help. Two off-duty Acworth police officers were eating lunch inside when the victim entered. One officer saw blood gushing from the mother's wrist and immediately applied a tourniquet to save her life.
Johnson fled the scene in a car with two children inside. Authorities tracked the vehicle using tag readers across the state. Within an hour and 15 minutes, Whitfield County Sheriff's Office deputies pulled the vehicle over and took Johnson into custody.
Police officers save mother
What they're saying:
Officers described the terrifying moment the victim ran inside the restaurant for assistance.
"We turn around and see a woman covered from head to toe in blood," Acworth Police Officer Makayla Grimes said. "She told us she had been stabbed by her daughter. She was petrified, you could see it in her eyes."
"I knew that the seconds mattered in that moment to stop the bleeding or she was going to die," Officer Grimes said. "I'm just glad we were there, it was God's timing for sure, right place right time for two off duty officers to just be having lunch. Just happy we were able to help her."
Capt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office detailed the quick arrest. "We were able to get the information out with our tag readers throughout the state, and within an hour and 15 minutes Whitfield county sheriff's office had the suspect pulled over and she's now in custody in Whitfield," Capt. Baker said.
Unanswered questions in ongoing case
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released what sparked the original argument between the mother and daughter inside the vehicle. It remains unclear who the two children inside the car belong to.
Recovery and custody updates
What's next:
Johnson sustained a stab wound to her leg, received treatment at a hospital in Dalton, and faces an aggravated assault charge. She is currently being held in the Cherokee County Jail.
The mother was rushed to Kennestone Hospital and has since been released. The two children inside the vehicle were not harmed and were placed in the custody of the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) in Whitfield County.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX5 reporter Denise Dillon, who spoke with Acworth Police Officer Makayla Grimes and Capt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.