Bensalem stabbing suspect held on $5M bail

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) -- The man who allegedly stabbed a Bensalem police officer, then stole his cruiser, is being held on $5-million bail.

23-year-old Matthew Miller has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer and related offenses.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bristol Pike and Woodhaven Road.

Bensalem Police say the officer, 38-year-old Michael Jachimski, stopped a pedestrian, identified as Miller.

Miller had been reported missing from work release about 40 minutes beforehand, police said.

As Jachimski began to handcuff Miller, police say Miller lunged at the Jachimski with a knife, stabbing him in the stomach.

However, the knife was stopped from injuring Jachimski by his bulletproof vest.

"We have a puncture to the vest," said Bensalem Public Safety Director Fred Harran, "but, thank God, it did not go through the vest and did not injure the officer."

"The area where he was stabbed could have been life-threatening," Harran said.

Miller then allegedly stole the officer's police vehicle, which was later found abandoned in the area of Knights Road and Fairdale Drive.

Miller was then spotted running through the back of the nearby Benjamin Rush school in Philadelphia, where he was taken in to custody.

Police said they recovered the knife, but they do not know where Miller got the weapon.

Police also noted that Miller was originally sentenced on a variety of theft charges.

Miller was arraigned and sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility in lieu of the $5-million.

Jachimski was not injured, police said.

He is a 6-year-veteran of the Bensalem Police Department and a 4-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department.