An Indiana man allegedly took the Pacers and New York Knicks rivalry too far, after he was arrested and charged for stabbing a Knicks fan at a bar on May 23 and injuring another fan.
The stabbing occurred around 10:40 p.m. after the Pacers fan, Jarrett Funke, 24, had allegedly harassed two Knicks fans while they were watching the game at bar in Carmel, a suburb about 20 miles north of Indianapolis.
According to court records, Funke allegedly approached one of the Knicks fans, hitting the fan’s hat off his head and began yelling at the two fans to engage in a fight.
At that point, Funke’s father grabbed his son and attempted to de-escalate the situation. Bar staff called police and told Funke and his family to leave the premises.
After receiving this warning, Funke’s father started to drag his son out of the bar, as Jarrett cursed at the Knicks fan, yelling ‘take this outside,’ according to court records.
Court records: Men pull out knives out on patio
Officers with the Carmel Police Department initially responded to the call at the brewery, Danny Boy Beer Works, but turned around after staff called back and said that the man causing the issue had left.
After Funke left, the two Knicks fans stepped onto the bar’s patio to smoke. That’s when Funke stormed onto the patio and began harassing them once more.
One of the Knicks fans pulled out a pocket knife and then put it back in his pocket, according to court records.
Funke then attacked the man, pulling out his own pocket knife and stabbing him in the back with it, while the Knicks fan fought back, according to court records.
The other Knicks fan attempted to pull Funke off of his friend, but ended up cutting his leg against the patio’s stoop, according to court documents.
Multiple people told police that the man was bleeding profusely, causing them to worry that he might die from his injuries.
During the fight, bar staff once more called the police.
Pacers fan facing battery charges
As Funke attempted to drive away from the bar, he was stopped by Carmel Police officers in the parking lot.
Police arrested Funke, while emergency medical personnel transported the two Knicks fans to a hospital. Police brought Funke to the hospital to address his injuries, and while there, police interviewed Funke to figure out what caused the fight on the patio.
‘They were talking (expletive),’ Funke told the officer.
Funke claimed that the Knicks fans had started the fight, but after interviewing everyone involved in the fight and at the bar, the officer determined that Funke was the aggressor.
On May 27, 2025, the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office charged Funke with battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal recklessness and battery.
Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.