Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade was stabbed Tuesday afternoon just outside of his department's headquarters at Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard.
Investigators said a woman jumped into Tade's unmarked city SUV as it was stopped and attacked him. Doug Schepman, a police spokesman, declined to speculate on what spurred the stabbing.
"At this time, we don't know what the motive was," Schepman told reporters.
Tade was taken to Denver Health in fair condition with wounds to his hand and leg. Officials said he is in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery. He was released from the hospital Tuesday evening and is recovering at home.
Police identified the woman arrested in the 1:30 p.m. attack as 42-year-old Marlene Zacevich-Rodriguez. She is suspected of aggravated assault. Police recovered her knife.
"We had some witnesses on the scene that pointed us in the direction of a female suspect," Schepman said. "We're trying to piece together whether or not there is a connection between the victim and the suspect."
Officers flooded the scene after the stabbing, cordoning off a large swath of the intersection at Colfax and Speer — including the fire station — in crime scene tape.