Maries County Sheriff’s Department Belle Division responded to a reported stabbing incident Friday afternoon at White’s Apartments located on Highway 28 in Belle.

The incident started with a domestic dispute.

Major Scott John with the Belle Division was the deputy on the scene and discussed the parties involved.

“It was Brittany Wilcox and her boyfriend Nathan Wheeler,” John said of the parties. “They were arguing and she stabbed him in the left 10 o’clock position — if the belly was a clock and the belly button was noon.”

The weapon was a large hunting knife with a gutting hook and penetrated approximately two inches.

“He ran from the house because she was still chasing him and he still had the knife in him,” John said. “He ran to another apartment and the guy let him. Brittany forced her way in after.”

John arrived on the scene and saw Wilcox, 33, laying in the doorway covered in blood.

“I thought she was the victim at first,” John said.

Wheeler was sitting at the neighbor’s table. He had pulled the knife out and was trying to apply pressure to the wound.

“I rolled (Wilcox) over and handcuffed her and then gave my attention to his wound,” John said.

There were four children in the Wilcox/Wheeler house at the time, the oldest from a previous relationship and three others that belonged to Wheeler and Wilcox together. DFS was contacted and other family members were located to come and pick up the children.

Wheeler was transported to Phelps Health in Rolla by Ozark Central Ambulance District (OCAD).

“(Brittany) had a laceration on the right side of her neck that was superficial and looked worse than it was, and a deep cut on her hand that needed stitches,” John said. “She was transported to Phelps Health in the patrol car. Afterward, the deputy brought her back to Maries County Jail for processing.”

John explained that while on the scene a male deputy cannot frisk a female suspect.

“He can pat her down for weapons,” he said. “She was wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt without an undergarment and loose-fitting pajama-style pants. The only thing the deputy can do is pat her sides for weapons.”

By the time Wilcox was taken to the Maries County Jail, she was left in a holding room for the female jailer to come and collect her for a search.

“Between the few minutes that she was left in the holding room and when the female jailer came to take her to the bathroom to be searched — they made it into the hallway outside of the restroom when (Wilcox) collapsed from an overdose,” John said.

John said the substance Wilcox swallowed was unknown, but they suspect it was an opiate.

Jail staff members administered Narcan and requested EMS services immediately. Wilcox was transported to Phelps Health by OCAD. On Feb. 20 she was flown from Phelps Health to University Medical Center (UMC). She was still admitted at the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon. Her condition was unknown.

“Since she was unconscious and being placed into ICU, we released her from custody and applied for a warrant,” John said. “She doesn’t have the means to leave the area, so it’s not like we can’t locate her when she gets out.”

John said on Tuesday that they are still working on the probable cause statement to request a warrant for Wilcox’s arrest, but expects it to be submitted in the next few days.