An intoxicated woman stabbed Michael Malinowski, 26, a street performer in Chicago, Illinois.
Barbara Johnson, 38, from Blue Island, Illinois, had been drinking before the encounter with Malinowski on Feb. 4, 2020. This incident happened around 1:35 p.m. at the Jackson Red Line station. Johnson walked up and unplugged Malinowski’s amp.
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At first, Malinowski thought the amp had blown. But then Johnson complained that Malinowski’s music was giving her a headache. Johnson then attempted to push Malinowski onto the nearby train tracks.
As a train was approaching, Malinowski tried to fight back to get off of the tracks. He recalled later that some people were yelling at him while he was fighting. Then, Johnson stabbed the musician.
The incident was caught on the security cameras, which allowed the police to chase down Johnson. The police arrested Johnson and charged her.
After the attack, Malinowski has been left unable to play guitar and is still in pain. Malinowski can move his fingers a little bit, but he is unable to move his arm. Playing guitar was his source of income, and he has no health insurance.
Police charged Johnson with aggravated battery in a public area, use of a deadly weapon and aggravated battery, and criminal damage to property. Prosecutors said that Johnson has five felony convictions.
According to prosecutors, Johnson also potentially has a mental illness.