Bystander sees man repeatedly stabbing woman and rushes to save her, NC cops say

A knife attack on a helpless woman turned into a street brawl when one bystander stepped in and left the accused assailant in critical condition, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The assault happened around 8:15 a.m. Monday along Vandalia Road in Greensboro, and detectives suspect it began as a domestic dispute, the Greensboro Police Department said in a Feb. 17 news release.

“Witnesses told police that the woman fled from a vehicle, and that a man chased her, caught her, and began stabbing her,” police said.

“A bystander intervened to stop the assault, resulting in injuries to the man. ... The woman, and the man who attacked her, were both transported to a local hospital for treatment.”

The woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but has since been released, police said in a Feb. 10 update.

Investigators say she was “in a domestic relationship” with the suspect, 23-year-old Ryan Jacob Spencer, police said.

Spencer was arrested Feb. 19 after being released by a hospital and has been charged with: attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, police said.

The site of the attack is a residential neighborhood in south Greensboro, maps show.

Greensboro is about a 90-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Bystander sees man repeatedly stabbing woman and rushes to save her, NC cops say."