A Colorado man who claimed he was stabbed for looking like a neo-Nazi is now facing criminal charges for fabricating the entire story. Joshua Witt made international headlines this month after he posted photos of his bloody hand to Facebook.
"Soooooooo apparently I look like a neo-Nazi and got stabbed for it," he wrote in a now-deleted post. "Luckily I put my hands up to stop it so he only stabbed my hand... please keep in mind there was no conversation between me and this dude I was literally just getting out of my car."
Witt later told news outlets he was not associated with neo-Nazis or white supremacists, but was mistaken for one simply because of his haircut. He claimed the attack was carried out by a 20-something-year-old black man in the parking lot of a Steak 'n Shake.
"I was just getting out of my car to go get myself a milkshake and the next thing I hear is 'You one of them neo-Nazis" as this man is swinging a knife at my head over my car door," Witt told BuzzFeed News. "I threw my hands up out of natural reflex and then I kind of dived back in my car as the suspect took off running."
Many conservative outlets jumped on the story, using it as an example of left-wing extremists assaulting innocent white folks; however, authorities had plenty of reasons to be skeptical.
According to Buzzfeed News, officers reviewed parking lot surveillance footage and at no point saw anyone running from the scene. Though they later questioned a man who fit Witt’s description, the individual was later cleared as a suspect after Witt failed to identify him in a lineup.
Officers then obtained footage captured at a nearby sporting goods store, where Witt was filmed purchasing a small knife—the kind that could’ve caused his hand wound.
"[When] he was confronted with the all the information listed above. Mr. Witt subsequently admitted to accidentally cutting himself with the knife while parked in his car in front of the sporting goods store and admitted making up the story about being attacked," Sheridan police said in a statement.
Witt was arrested last week on charges of false reporting. He faces a fine of up to $2,650 and up to one year in jail.
