Husband, wife scuffle ends in fatal stabbing
New Orleans — An argument between a husband and wife in eastern New Orleans turned fatal Wednesday morning, and police have ruled the husband’s death a justifiable homicide.
Bernard Washington, 38, died in the street outside of his apartment at 10900 Roger Drive in eastern New Orleans on Wednesday. Police said Washington was stabbed once in the leg and bled to death while his wife and others tried to rush him to the hospital.
Officer Garry Flot, a police spokesman, said Washington and his wife, Robin Washington, were arguing Wednesday morning when the altercation became physical. The wife stabbed her husband during the incident and apparently struck an artery. Washington died next to an SUV and was covered in blood.
Flot said that because of the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, the victim’s wife is not being charged. She was taken to police headquarters for questioning along with another witness.
Washington’s family gathered at the scene early exhorting each other to pray and shedding tears over his death. Family members described him as a hard-working man who loved his five children.
Patricia Washington, the victim’s stepmother, said the family got a call early Wednesday from the victim’s mother who said he’d been stabbed during an argument and died while they were trying to get him to the hospital. He and his wife had only been living on Roger Drive for a short time, she said.
She said the victim was a good man, who worked off-shore and really cared about his children. All of those children came from previous relationships, and police said no minors were home during the stabbing. Bernard Washington and his wife had only been married for 18 months.
“He was a good man, a hard-working man,” Washington said. “We don’t know exactly what happened.”
Police would not release any information on prior calls for service at the location.