BUTLER COUNTY — The man accused of stabbing a Butler County sheriff’s deputy is now facing charges.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Phillip Brandon Lovely, 41, has been released from the hospital and charged with felonious assault, arson, and attempted aggravated murder, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
He’s since been booked in the Middletown Jail.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Around 20 vehicles involved in crash on I-70 amid ‘whiteout conditions’
- City urging residents, businesses to clear snow from sidewalks or face possible charge
- PHOTOS: Snowfall from across Miami Valley
As News Center 7 previously reported, Butler County Deputy Mike Farthing responded to the 7000 block of Myers Road for reports of a vehicle on fire around 12:45 p.m. on Thursday.
When Farthing arrived, he saw a vehicle on fire near a home.
While Farthing was assisting with traffic control, Lovely allegedly came from behind and stabbed him in the back.
Farthing called for backup, and Lovely was taken into custody.
In a statement, Sheriff Richard K. Jones said he was “extremely thankful that Deputy Farthing is recovering well and will be going home.”
“There are not many professions where you wake up and prepare for work knowing you may not come home, and law enforcement is one of them. We are all very grateful that, in this case, Deputy Farthing is going home. I am confident that Phillip Lovely will have his day in court and that justice will be served,” Jones said.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
