River Roper Admits To Ex-Boyfriend’s Stabbing After Initially Lying About A Homeless Black Man Committing The Crime

River Roper, a Washington woman who blamed the stabbing of her ex-boyfriend on a homeless Black man, has been arrested for domestic assault and armed criminal action, according to the EMissourian. On Oct. 18, Roper and her ex-boyfriend met at a Washington motel, and while he was showering, Roper’s father arrived at the motel.

After the ex-boyfriend finished his shower, he and Roper’s father began arguing, but Roper’s father left before things could escalate further. Once her father left, however, Roper and her ex-boyfriend kept arguing. Eventually, the ex-boyfriend was cut, according to the police report. “She (Roper) said she was holding the knife, which she described as a small table knife with a black handle, to protect her,” the report said. “She said she did not know how she actually cut him.”

According to the report, the laceration was “approximately 3 to 4 inches in length,” and Roper’s ex-boyfriend fell backward onto the bed and bled onto it, which prompted Roper to grab towels to wrap his wound. He left the motel, but Roper picked him up and took him to a local Walgreens, where they purchased gauze to wrap his arm more.

The ex-boyfriend refused to go to the hospital following the use of the makeshift bandages, so they returned to the ex-boyfriend’s apartment. It was there when, after approximately two hours, he began to lose consciousness, which Roper responded to by calling 911. He was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he was treated and released on Oct. 19.

Police say that Roper initially told them a homeless Black man stabbed her ex as he walked home from the gas station, but upon further investigation, they questioned her account. According to the police report, “After I conducted a short investigation and revealed the statements were not matching up, I asked her to tell me what had really happened,” the arresting officer wrote. “It was at this point she had provided the above account.”

Roper’s ex-boyfriend, meanwhile, admitted that he did not want Roper to get into trouble with the law, so he didn’t want to go to the hospital. Once the Washington Police Department searched the motel room, they found the bloody towels and other evidence. The police say they received three calls about a domestic dispute involving the pair, all in September. Roper is currently being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

RELATED CONTENT: Woman Who Stabbed 3 At ATL Airport Denied Bond