British actor Dev Patel broke up a fight in which a man was stabbed in the chest, a spokesperson has confirmed.
A spokesperson for Patel, who starred in Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, told local outlet 7NEWS.com.au he and his friends had witnessed “a violent altercation that was already in progress outside a convenience store”.
In a statement to the outlet, they said: “Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight.
“The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.”
The 32-year-old actor was pictured talking to police after the stabbing on Monday night in Adelaide, Australia.
Officers were called around 8.45pm following reports of a man and woman fighting in the street, South Australia Police said.
The couple continued fighting inside a nearby service station, where witnesses attempted to break up the fight, before the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest.
A 32-year-old man from Glengowrie was treated at the scene by ambulance officers. He was then taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. His injuries are not considered life threatening.
Patel’s spokesperson added: “This specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalised members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
“The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large.”
Patel lives in Adelaide with his girlfriend, actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey, whom he starred alongside in the 2018 film Hotel Mumbai.
