This shocking body-cam footage shows the moment a woman suddenly stabs a police deputy in the neck, according to the cops.

The incident took place in the 12500 block of South Indian River Drive, which crosses through the city of Port St. Lucie, on the Atlantic coast, in the southern US state of Florida, at around 11pm on Wednesday, 23rd March.

Newsflash obtained the images and a statement from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed that the deputy, named as 22-year-old Cody Colangelo, survived the incident and is currently recovering from his ordeal.

Police deputies responded to a call about a rollover crash, but found that the vehicle was empty when they arrived on the scene. Deputy Colangelo then located the driver, named as 21-year-old Leigha Michelle Day, at the bottom of an embankment near the scene.

Footage released by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office shows the scene through the police deputy’s body cam, with him walking in the dark towards a woman who can be seen at the bottom of the embankment, with the sound of waves in the background.

The police deputy asks the woman, later identified by police as Day: “Hello, what’s going on?”

Day can be heard crying. The police officer communicates with his colleagues over his radio before asking the woman again: “What’s going on?”

Day does not immediately reply before eventually saying: “I don’t know.”

Deputy Colangelo then asks her: “You don’t know?”

She replies: “No.”

The police deputy then asks Day if she was in a crash, but she does not respond and turns, apparently beginning to walk away. The police officer asks her to refrain from doing so and asks her to approach.

Day can then be heard saying: “Wait. Hold on.”

Deputy Colangelo disagrees and begins to approach the woman. He clambers down some steps so that he is on the same level as her and asks her to approach again.

Day can be seen crying, with her hands behind her back. The police officer directs her to walk up the steps with him and leave the area near the water.

The woman then bends over as she cries that she does not want to, adding: “I’m scared.”

Deputy Colangelo asks her: “You’re scared?”

He then directs Day up the steps and this time she complies. He instructs not to run, as it is dangerous in the dark.

Deputy Colangelo follows her up the steps and she can be heard crying before she suddenly swings around and allegedly strikes the officer in the neck with the knife. The footage then ends abruptly.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office released a first statement on 24th March saying: “Sheriff’s Office deputy sustains life-threatening injury after an altercation with a woman involved in a roll-over crash.”

Sheriff Ken J. Mascara said at a press conference that the incident “really shows the danger that law enforcement officers face”.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said in subsequent a statement dated 27th March and attributed to Chief Deputy Brian Hester: “We are so thankful for the doctors and nurses at Lawnwood for the great care they have provided Deputy Colangelo. He is recovering well and resting comfortably at home. We also thank our community for the outpouring of support.”

The police added that the suspect has been detained and charged with attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.