GREENACRES, Fla. — A roofing contractor is facing attempted-murder charges after repeatedly stabbing his supervisor at a jobsite in Greenacres, Fla. on Jan. 15.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Jerald Goodwin, a supervisor for a Florida roofing company, asked one of his employees, Demarest Stevenson, to move a dump truck to another site to collect roofing debris. The name of the roofing company was not revealed.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports that Stevenson refused to move the truck, and in response to the request, pulled a knife and repeatedly stabbed Goodwin, who pleaded for his life.
“Don’t take my life because, you know, I have a family, I’m married and I need to be alive,” Goodwin said to the Palm Beach Post, recalling what he said to Stevenson.
Reports indicate another co-worker intervened and called 911, causing Stevenson to flee the scene in a dump truck. Deputies responded to a report of the incident, which took place on Fountains Circle in unincorporated Lake Worth. Deputies found Goodwin with multiple stab wounds. Reports state the co-worker who intervened “was unaware what led to the stabbing.”
Deputies caught up with Stevenson and arrested him. Deputies noted he was wearing a bloodied white shirt. He is facing a charge of attempted first degree murder and is due in court on Jan. 23.
Goodwin was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he was treated for a slash on his inner thighs, abdomen and on his hands from reportedly protecting his throat and face. The Palm Beach Post reported that he is recovering and expects to be out of work for the next three months.
This is the third work-related homicide case RC has reported on in the past two months. In December, a roofer attacked a co-worker with a circular saw in Wisconsin. That same month, police in St. Petersburg, Fla. released video footage of a suspect they believe shot and killed a 24-year-old roofer after he was dropped off at work.