Lawrence police say a man who was stabbed on Friday at the Salvation Army was uncooperative before being taken to a Kansas City-area hospital by helicopter.

A fight broke out about 1 p.m. Friday between an employee and a visitor to the downtown Salvation Army office, 946 New Hampshire St., Lawrence police spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley said.

The fight started after the victim, who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, was talking with a female staff member. When an older male staff member saw the victim and the female employee interacting, he asked her if she was OK, and she indicated she wasn’t.

“The visitor became angry that the older staff member inserted himself into the situation,” McKinley said. The visitor, who is in his mid 20s, allegedly attacked the employee and “struck (him) numerous times,” he said. In response to the attack, the employee, who is in his mid 60s, pulled out a pocketknife in an attempt to defend himself, McKinley said. The visitor received several cuts and stab wounds from the knife, and stopped the attack before running from the building.

Police found the visitor in the downtown parking garage’s stairwell. Paramedics treated him and he was later taken to a Kansas City-area trauma center by air ambulance, which landed at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, 1400 Massachusetts St., McKinley said.

The names of the victim and the staff member have not been released as of Monday afternoon.

McKinley said the Salvation Army staff told police the man was new to their facility; police do not know if the man had business there. “His identity was not known to us. And he was definitely not cooperative,” McKinley said.