Wake DA’s office drops charges against man accused in downtown Raleigh stabbings
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County prosecutors dismissed charges against Frank Lalich for insufficient evidence.
- Court documents state four assault-with-a-weapon charges were dropped after video review.
- New footage showed Lalich being sucker-punched and kicked and suggested self-defense.
Wake County prosecutors have dismissed charges against the man accused of an attack in downtown Raleigh last weekend that left six people stabbed, citing “insufficient evidence” in the case.
According to court documents, Frank Lalich Jr.’s four charges of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to seriously injure have been dropped after surveillance footage showed Lalich was defending himself in the altercation.
“Video evidence obtained after warrant was sworn out shows that defendant was acting in self-defense,” the dismissal states.
The decision comes a day after the Wake County District Attorney’s Office reopened the investigation in response to newly reviewed footage showing what an assistant district attorney described as Lalich being sucker-punched and kicked while on the ground.
Raleigh police responded to the fight on the 400 block of Fayetteville Street outside The Anchor bar just after midnight Saturday. Witnesses told police that Lalich had used a knife to attack four people.
The six adults involved in the altercation were all taken to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The News & Observer asked police about next steps in the stabbing investigation and received a general statement explaining how the department approaches an investigation. It did not say whether other arrests tied to the stabbing incident are possible.
“As the investigation continues, additional information may be developed and presented to the judicial official,” it read. “Based on the totality of the facts, a determination can then be made on whether the case should proceed or be dismissed.”
‘Mixed state of emotions’
Lalich, 35, appeared in court virtually on Tuesday and posted $2,000 bond later that night. But he remained in custody until the charges were dismissed Wednesday morning, according to his lawyer Alex Marshall, as he was required to wait for an electronic monitor in line with his release terms.
Marshall said Lalich is now in a “mixed state of emotions and a mixed state of pain” as he continues to recover from his injuries.
“Everything that came forth showed that Frank was justified in any actions he would have taken, which is both exhilarating that law enforcement and prosecutors were able to get that so swiftly, but it’s frightening to think what his life could have been or looked like had video evidence not been shown,” Marshall said.
But Lalich now faces the task of rebuilding his reputation and “putting his life back together” after being charged with a crime, Marshall said. The 35-year-old has no history of criminal behavior or mental illness, has a master’s degree and has been a Wake County resident for 10 years, attorney Russell Dement said in court Tuesday.
“I’m glad that we were able to swiftly come to the right decision in this case,” Marshall said. “I’m glad for the Wake County DA’s office to make a swift decision in what was just and right. And I’m glad we don’t have to walk down road of what could have been.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 1:15 PM.
