A New Jersey man slept soundly for about 10 hours until he awoke with a peculiar pain — from a knife in his back.
The 42-year-old Trenton man didn’t know what was wrong until his brother identified the problem.
“His brother said he had a knife blade protruding from his back,” said Lt. Mark Kieffer, a Trenton police spokesman.
The victim, who was not identified, had been stabbed during a fight on his porch, Kieffer said.
The fight started around 2 a.m. Sunday, when the victim, who had been drinking, stepped out for a cigarette.
While he smoked, another man approached and asked for a light. When the victim refused, an argument broke out and escalated into a fight, Kieffer said.
The victim thought he had won because the other man ran away.
“He said, ‘I’m not chasing after the guy,’ ” Kieffer said.
Cops were called to the victim’s house, where they confirmed there was a 5-inch blade stuck in his back.
The type of knife was not immediately known, police said.
He was taken to a hospital, where the knife was removed. The victim is expected to survive his injuries and could be released from the hospital soon.
Cops said he was uncooperative with detectives.
There have been no arrests.