Knife fight sends four to the hospital

Rural Oak Harbor fight Sunday morning leaves four people with serious stab wounds.

“Investigators with the Island County Sheriff’s Office are trying to sort out the details of a knife fight in rural Oak Harbor early Sunday morning that left four people with serious stab wounds.Detective Sgt. Russ Lindner said the fight started after a party at the Yates Road home. The multiple stabbing was called in at 5:12 a.m. by the father of one of the victims, who woke up to the commotion and found the injured men.He opened the door to a big mess of bloody bodies on his front porch, Lindner said. According to Sheriff Mike Hawley, the fight started because a man apparently made a pass at another man’s girlfriend. Garrett Staugler, 23, of Oak Harbor suffered the most extensive injuries, Lindner said, with six to 10 stab wounds to his upper torso and back. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center and underwent surgery Monday for organ damage.David Wilson, 19, of Yates Road was stabbed in the back. He was also airlifted to Harborview Medical Center and underwent surgery, but no organ damage was found.Shawn Coughlan, 19, of Yates Road and Alan Scott, 19, of Oak Harbor were both cut on the arms and hands. The injuries were so serious that they were taken by ambulance to Harborview Medical Center for surgery.Lindner said the investigation has been clouded by uncooperative witnesses and the fact that the fight participants were hospitalized. Detectives went to Harborview Tuesday to interview the men who were injured.Lindner said so far he’s been able to sort out this much:Staugler was on his way home in a car with his girlfriend when she told him that Coughlan had made a pass at her. Staugler went back to the Yates Road home and punched Coughlan in the face. Then three other men and a pit bull jumped into the fight and someone pulled a knife.Three women and a girl witnessed the fight. Lindner said that several witnesses said Coughlan pulled out a knife after being punched. The knife or knives used, however, have not been found.Daniel Hammond, 22, of Oak Harbor was also involved in the fight but was not injured. He drove Staugler to the Navy hospital but then left. He was stopped shortly afterward in Oak Harbor by a police officer and arrested on an outstanding assault warrant out of Bellingham.According to Lindner, the pit bull was also nicked in the fight.Lindner said the investigation is continuing and he’ll be consulting with the Prosecutor’s Office on the possibility of charging suspects with assault.Everyone is under investigation at this time… he said. We have four young men with a lot of holes in them. We’re trying to sort out who did what.”