A Massachusetts man has died after an "accident" with a knife he was wearing attached to a lanyard around his neck.
Police initially feared Patrick Kenney Jr. had been attacked Saturday night when he was found collapsed in the parking lot of Kowloon restaurant in Saugus, about 11 miles north of Boston, WCVB said.
But they later ruled that the 42-year-old dad of young twins had somehow stabbed himself with a knife around his neck in what his family also called a “horrible tragedy.”
“This incident appears to be accidental, and no additional parties are believed to be involved,” District Attorney Paul Tucker and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli said in a joint statement.
There's more at the link.
This news hits hard for my wife and myself, because we both carry neck knives from time to time. There are situations where clothing requirements make it difficult to carry a knife anywhere else, but where security issues make it advisable to have ready access to a knife because one can't carry any other defensive tool in a particular venue or environment. There are lots of different examples available, and variations on the theme such as push daggers. We own several examples between us.
It's hard to envisage a situation where one could be stabbed with one's own neck knife. Was the victim fiddling with it, and fell with the blade in a dangerous position? Was he wearing a blade without a sheath (something I'd never do in that location)? Did something or someone knock into him with sufficient force to make the blade penetrate his skin and puncture a blood vessel? I guess we'll never know all the details. Suffice it to say, his death is a grim warning to all of us to keep our guard up and never let it down for a moment. Safety, and our lives, are in our hands, and we'd better be paying attention to them - or else!
May Mr. Kenney rest in peace, and may his wife, children and extended family find what comfort they may.
Peter
9 comments:
I had an incident with a neck knife where a relative gave me an awkward hug, felt the knife pop out of the kydex sheath and starting to slide down my chest. I slapped at it and the knife pierced upwards through my t-shirt.
And that was the last time I carried a knife in that manner.
Check out Scallywag Tactical D2 aluminum dagger as an alternative when clothing is minimal. I own one and have no other affiliation with the company
It happened at the Kowloon in Saugus? Any Massachusetts (or former residents) readers may suspect alcohol was involved, still so sad for his family.
Is someone going to add a thumb break retainer to these sheaths? Be a bit safer if sheaths don't hold - just one more muscle memory exercise to practice...
Always had a hinky feeling about a neck knife. This story has proven my instincts were correct.
Something just seems off about the reporting. I carried a neck knife until my belly pushed it out where it printed all the time. I've had the chain break, and had the knife pop out of the sheath, but I can't imagine any situation that would cause more than a cut.
My first thought when reading the headline was that his airbag had gone off, propelling the knife with force into his chest, but that seems not to be the case.
Something is being left unsaid, or it's some BS to discourage people from carrying neck knives.
n
I used to carry a knife in this manner. I stopped when the knife was wedged against my sternum due to my body movements.
Thank God the knife was sheathed. I keep my knives razor sharp, it takes very little pressure to puncture or lacerate.
I wear a modified Wyoming Knife around my neck when I wear waders in deep water. Fall down & the waders fill with water you're done. I was lucky the first time & the knife saved me the second time. Too old for that nonsense anymore , dont usually go knee deep anymore.
Maybe this was an accident. And maybe the cops are wrong.
Post a Comment