Beech Tree News Network

A 21-year-old Bowling Green man admitted stabbing his father Sunday while they were attending a 9:30 a.m. service at Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green, according to police.

Ethan Buckley is charged with first-degree assault-domestic violence and is being held in the Warren County Regional Jail in Bowling Green. At an arraignment Monday morning, Ethan Buckley said he could not afford an attorney and was appointed a public defender. Warren District Judge Sam Potter set Ethan Buckley's bond at $500,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Friday.

The victim, David C. Buckley, 40, was transported to The Medical Center at Bowling Green. David Buckley is alive but details of his condition were unknown Monday morning, according to Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward.

A BGPD arrest citation released Monday indicates that Ethan Buckley told police he was "moved by the message" Sunday morning before he stabbed his father several times in the neck. Ethan Buckley told police he'd had thoughts of killing his father and stabbed David Buckley with a pocket knife. Ethan Buckley said his intention was to kill David Buckley, and that he tried to cut his father's jugular vein so that the death would be painless, according to the citation.

The citation lists an apartment on Campbell Lane as Ethan Buckley's address, but indicates he has an Arkansas driver's license.

"It's an isolated incident between father and son," said BGPD Public Information Officer Rick Bessette on Sunday.

Members of the congregation and the church's security team detained the suspect following the stabbing, which occurred at about 10:45 a.m., Bessette said.

The large church on Nashville Road canceled its 11 a.m. service Sunday.

At least four police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance were on the scene Sunday morning and early afternoon. A tow truck removed a car bearing Davidson County, Tenn., license plates.

After the 11 a.m. service was canceled, shocked attendees of the two services were left seeking answers. They hugged and wept, trying to make sense of the incident. Many people were reluctant to talk about what happened, but when they did they expressed astonishment that this could happen at their church.

Alicia Bell of Bowling Green was on one of the side rows of the sanctuary. The apparent attack took place in the middle section, a few rows back from the pulpit.

"It's scary, but in today's society this can happen anywhere. I felt like the Lord was protecting us," she said "I'm glad that my family and I are OK, and I'm praying for anybody that was hurt."

Knowing what to do during an attack requires clear thinking and alertness, Bell said.

"Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings," she said.

Brent Duvall of Bowling Green was was at the altar when the disturbance occurred.

"I was praying at the altar when I heard a commotion," he said. "I thought it was someone going into cardiac arrest or a seizure. I found out it wasn't that."

Duvall saw people tackle the suspect to the ground.

"He was being very combative," he said.

The pastors asked everyone to leave the sanctuary calmly and peacefully, Duvall said.

"They said the medical team and officers were on the way," he said.

While BGPD described the apparent domestic incident as an "isolated" event, Duvall said it's an example of what's happening around the globe.

"It's a lost and fallen world we live in," he said. "It shouldn't surprise us."

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By Alyssa Harvey
Bowling Green Daily News
Kentucky Press News Service
Date: 08-15-2016