Jackson County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an assault that led to a stabbing in self defense around 8:30 a.m. Friday morning in Eagle Point.

The victim, an electrician with Medford company Precision Electric, allegedly acted in self defense after the suspect assaulted them, according to detectives’ preliminary investigation.

Dispatch received a call at 8:31 a.m. Friday for a stabbing in the 2100 block of Rogue River Drive in Eagle Point, and Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies, Jackson County Fire District 3 and Mercy Flights arrived on scene.

After deputies secured the scene, a Mercy Flights ambulance transported the wounded suspect to a nearby hospital.

Detectives learned that the electrician was in the area working when a man approached and assaulted him unprovoked, causing the electrician to act in self defense and use his pocket knife to stop the attack, wounding the suspect in the process.

Nobody else was involved in the altercation.

The suspect underwent surgery for the wounds at the hospital and is in stable condition.

The suspect’s name hasn’t been released and charges are pending review by the Jackson County District Attorney’s office.

Travis Snyder, managing partner of Precision Electric and employer of the electrician who was assaulted, backed his employee for acting in self defense.

“We stand behind our employee 100% and we support his actions he had to take to defend himself,” Snyder said. “He was the victim in this situation and we’re just glad he’s OK.”

Snyder was made aware of the situation soon after the assault and subsequent stabbing occurred.

“(The victim) called my assistant manager who immediately called me and I asked about the address on site,” Snyder said.

He was told that his employee was assaulted by someone believed to be suffering from mental illness, and that the electrician had to defend himself with a pocket knife he owned, Snyder added.

According to Snyder, he was told the suspect lives nearby to the location of the incident and is in his 30s with severe mental health problems.

The assault was a first for Snyder and his Precision Electric staff.

“We’ve had to deal with multiple thefts before but never dealt with an assault,” Snyder said.

There is no additional information on the assault and stabbing at this time, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Reach reporter James Sloan at jsloan@rv-times.com.