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Homeless man charged after stabbing man Sunday outside south Kansas City church

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A homeless man upset about the alleged spray painting of a tent he was living in on a south Kansas City, Missouri, church's property is charged with stabbing a church member Sunday.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Jarod Hill with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the attack outside Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene, 11811 State Line Road.

Hill told emergency response team members at the church his tent was on the property and had been spray painted, according to a court document.

He went upstairs in the church building and was given food.

Other emergency response team members looked at surveillance footage and saw it had not been spray painted, the court document states.

Hill called the team members liars and was told to leave or the police would be called.

He went outside but didn't immediately leave the church property.

Instead, he asked for directions to a laundromat and also asked for a taxi.

While a member was looking up directions on his phone, Hill grabbed the member and placed him in a headlock, according to the court document.

Hill allegedly pulled out a knife and began stabbing the victim in the chest.

Another church member jumped on Hill and tried to keep him from stabbing the victim in the neck, per the court document.

The member battling Hill over the knife asked for another member's gun, put the gun to Hill's chest and pulled the trigger.

However, there was not a round in the gun's chamber.

Five witnesses got the knife away from Hill and held him down until police arrived.

The victim suffered a deep cut to the right side of his chest and to his right thumb and one finger, according to the court document.

Detectives tried to speak with Hill, but he asked if they were religious and made a reference to "Masons."

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.