Man accused of stabbing Dobbs Ferry police officer faces attempted murder charges

Matthew Burke is now facing numerous charges including the attempted murder of a police officer in the first degree.

News 12 Staff

May 21, 2021, 9:58 AM

Updated 1,291 days ago

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A Dobbs Ferry man is facing attempted murder charges after a stabbing attack on an on-duty police officer on Thursday, according to authorities.
Dobbs Ferry police say the unprovoked attack on a veteran sergeant happened about 1:30 p.m. on Beacon Hill Drive and Keller Lane. The officer was working a special detail watching over a Con Edison construction project in the area.
They say a man suddenly ran up behind the officer and began assaulting him, stabbing and slashing him, including in the head with what's believed to be a knife.
The suspect then took off running with construction crews chasing him.
The seriously wounded sergeant, whose name has not been released, was still able to radio an officer needs assistance call back to his department as well as give a full description of the suspect.
There was a massive police presence in the area with multiple departments responding to the scene, which was blocked off for most of the afternoon. 
After searching the area, police were able to locate the suspect and take 36-year-old Matthew Burke into custody.
"I'm just happy they got the person in custody, and we can go back to normalcy because it was an intense few hours," says Lindsay Astor, of Dobbs Ferry.
Burke is scheduled for a virtual court hearing next Thursday. He's being held at the Westchester County Jail.
The sergeant was rushed to Westchester Medical Center, and police say he is expected to recover from his injuries. He has been released from the hospital.
"We are going to take care of him we got a great community here. Dobbs Ferry will be behind their police department," says Dobbs Ferry Police Chief Manuel Guevara.
Burke is now facing numerous charges including the attempted murder of a police officer in the first degree. He was arraigned and is currently behind bars at Westchester County jail awaiting his next court appearance.