Brian Duffy
A homeless man with a history of violence — and prison time — got the attention of dozens of Pathmark shoppers on Oct. 6 when, police said, he used a kitchen knife to stab a 50-year-old man in the face, wounding the victim critically and leaving the store’s dairy section a bloody mess.
At least 100 patrons and employees were inside the supermarket at 840 Cottman Ave. in Burholme just before 6 p.m. when the altercation erupted in an aisle. According to police, Brian Duffy, 43, “suddenly” began hitting a 50-year-old man, before Duffy pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim twice in the face.
Officially, a motive is unknown. A police commander at the scene told reporters that the victim and attacker knew each other and began to argue after a chance meeting inside the store. The origin of the argument is not known.
Duffy allegedly fled the store on foot, while the victim and a woman companion went outside, leaving a trail of blood through the store. Police took the victim to nearby Jeanes Hospital before he was transferred to Temple University Hospital in critical but stable condition.
The man’s companion told police the suspect’s direction of travel. Officers spotted Duffy a short time later walking on the 900 block of Faunce St. about a half-mile from the store. Nearby, police recovered the bloody knife allegedly used in the stabbing.
Authorities closed the store immediately after the attack and summoned public health officials to conduct an inspection.
Duffy was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and related offenses. He is held in Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in lieu of 10 percent of $500,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 23.
Duffy also is scheduled for a series of hearings for violating probation in connection with a 1998 case in which he pleaded guilty to two aggravated assaults. Duffy was charged with three assaults, as well as multiple counts of resisting arrest and related offenses. Prosecutors chose not to proceed with the other charges upon his guilty plea. Duffy was sentenced to 15 to 30 months in prison, plus four years probation and more than $1,400 in restitution and court costs. He is delinquent on those payments, according to court records.
Duffy landed in trouble again in 2007 when he was charged with causing an accident involving an occupied vehicle, reckless endangerment and fleeing police. He was convicted of fleeing police and sentenced to 18 months probation.
Police have no address of record for Duffy. Court records show that he lived in the 19111 ZIP code in 1998 and had no address of record in 2007. ••
