Security officer recounts experience of being stabbed at Orlando apartment complex

Security officer recounts stabbing attack

An Army veteran and former Florida Department of Corrections officer was out on patrol wrapping up a shift at Charles Towne at Park Central Apartments in Orlando when he spotted something wrong.

ORLANDO, Fla. - "He stabbed me three times in the head; I still have staples in my head," said Josh Koffarnus, speaking exclusively to FOX35’s Kelsie Cairns about what happened to him on March 12. "I think I’m just now processing it and feeling the effects of it," he said.

The U.S. Army veteran and former Florida Department of Corrections officer was out on patrol wrapping up a shift at Charles Towne at Park Central Apartments in Orlando when he spotted something wrong. That’s when everything went down.

"I turned the corner; I was ambushed. At the time, I didn’t know I was stabbed," Koffarnus said.

Adrenaline kicked in, and the moments after the attack were a blur, he said. A bloodied handprint marked the area where it all unfolded. Thirteen scars, staples, and stitches are a painful reminder of what happened that ill-fated Tuesday morning.

When asked what he had been experiencing in the days after the attack, he responded and said, "It’s hard. You know you wanna be tough."

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He also said he often wakes up in the night reliving the nightmare all over again.

In a statement, the Orlando Police Department said in part, "Our Detectives confirmed an arrest has not been made at this time. However, we are working all potential leads to identify the suspect involved in this incident. We will provide updates as they become available."

Although a suspect is still at large, Koffarnus says he is not backing down from the job.

"When they release me, I will put my vest back on, I will put my duty belt on, I will get back in my patrol car, and I’ll go back to the same zone {where} it happened," he said.

If you have any information that could lead to an arrest, call Orlando Police.