Man stabbed at Athens apartment, suspect arrested

By Joe Johnson

A Hancock County man was arrested early Saturday after he allegedly stabbed an Athens man at a westside apartment.

According to an Athens-Clarke County police report, officers responded at about 2:45 a.m. to an apartment at 131 Pinehurst Court, located in the area of Tallassee and Vaughn roads, on a report that a man at Apartment 2 had been stabbed and the suspect left on foot, headed towards Vaughn Road.

Upon arrival, officers found the victim, 50-year-old Chad Lanier Fort of Brookside Avenue, lying on the ground and bleeding heavily next to an open door at apartment 2, according to the report.

The report noted that blood spots led into the apartment, where a knife was found on the floor of the entrance hallway, just past the kitchen.

Fort was transported by ambulance to Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital.

The report dd not describe the severity of Fort’s injuries.

A police dispatcher reportedly notified officers of the suspect's description, including the detail that he was wearing a red hat, and soon afterwards an officer located a person matching the suspect’s description was located on Tallassee Road near Quailwood Drive.

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Ivan Nicholas Dennis of Sparta, was taken into custody and after an investigation by detectives was charged with aggravated assault.

Police did not release a motive for the stabbing, or indicate any connection the victim and suspect had with the apartment where the incident occurred.

According to Clarke County Superior Court records, Dennis was arrested for allegedly stabbing someone on Magnolia Street in 2013, but no indictment was ever filed in the case.

A Magistrate Court order denying Dennis bond at the time noted that he had a prior aggravated assault conviction.

As of Monday afternoon, Dennis was being held at the county jail without bail being set.