Pacers fan accused of stabbing Knicks fan said he was 'talking s---'

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on May 28, 2025

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NEW YORK — A Pacers fan who was arrested for stabbing a Knicks fan told authorities the victim was bad-mouthing his team during a watch party for the NBA playoffs hosted by an Indiana brewery.

The violence erupted at Danny Boy Beer Works in Carmel during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, which saw the Pacers top the Knicks, 114-109, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

According to a statement from the Carmel Police Department, officers were called Friday around 10:40 p.m. to investigate reports of an “alleged disturbance” at the bar, involving a man identified as 24-year-old Jarrett Funke.

As they approached, a worker at the watering hole called off the cops, telling them Funke was no longer at the brewery and that their response was no longer required, News 8 reported, citing court documents.

Minutes later, though, the bar employee called again, this time to tell them a stabbing had occurred.

When they arrived on the scene, officers found two men on the back patio, both of them “bleeding profusely.” One of them suffered a stab wound to the back, a broken rib, and a minor tear in the lung, according to News 8. He told authorities that 24-year-old Funke had been harassing them for much of the game, and at one point, smacked his Knicks cap from his head. The move prompted Funke’s father to intervene and attempt to calm the situation, but the bartender ultimately asked that he leave.

While Funke initially put up a fight, he agreed and exited the building, but he “stormed through the fence” when he spotted the pair smoking outside just minutes later. Funke allegedly launched himself at the first victim after he flashed a pocket knife at him, causing him to pull out his own. The second man cut his leg during a fall that occurred while he tried to separate the two men, police said.

Neither Knicks fan was identified. One of them was hospitalized in wake of the altercation.

Funke, meanwhile, insisted that he was not the one who started the argument. He said the Knicks fans were “talking s---” before the stabbing occurred, police said.

Authorities arrested Funke, who made an initial court appearance Tuesday on three felony charges, including battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon. He’s also facing a misdemeanor battery charge.