Howard County Police Arrest Suspect In Columbia Double Stabbing

Columbia, Maryland – Police arrest suspect in Columbia double stabbing; Damien Clark, 41, charged with murder after turning himself in

The suspect in the Dec. 25 double stabbing in Columbia that left one man dead and another injured was arrested after turning himself in to police.

Damien Gary Clark, 41, of Liberty Place in Baltimore, was charged Dec. 27 with second-degree murder, assault and reckless endangerment. He is being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center.

At approximately 9:40 p.m. on Christmas, police responded to the Trellis Center convenience store in the 10700 block of Hickory Ridge Road for a report of two people stabbed. The victims were transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where James Fallin Jr., 23, of Columbia, was pronounced dead. Warner Jackson, 22, of Columbia, was treated for his injuries and released.

Through investigation, detectives learned Clark came into contact with the victims both outside and inside the store. Police believe a verbal and then physical altercation ensued and Clark stabbed both victims before leaving the store. Police do not believe the suspect and victims knew one another prior to the incident.

Police released a surveillance video on social media Tuesday asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect and a woman with whom he entered and exited the store. As a result, Clark turned himself in to police. The woman who was with Clark at the time of the incident has been identified, but has not been charged.