City police are searching for two suspects following "multiple disturbances" this past weekend in downtown Barrie which involved a machete-style knife and a crowbar.
At 2:45 a.m., on Sunday, Aug. 13, police officers responded to altercations outside a Dunlop Street East establishment.
"One incident in particular resulted in a male victim trying to take control of a person who was armed with a crowbar when a second suspect came up quickly from behind and slashed him in the back with what has been described as a machete-style knife," police stated in a news release Thursday.
Police say the male with the machete, who is believed to have arrived in the area in a light-coloured Honda Odyssey, then began to "swing violently" at others in the crowd and struck a second man on his right forearm.
After this happened, police say the suspects fled on foot through Meridian Place toward Kempenfelt Bay.
Both victims sustained "significant lacerations" and were transported to local hospital for medical treatment.
“This could have been very, very serious in nature given the type of weapons that were involved," Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday. "We are just fortunate that nobody sustained any serious or life-altering injuries as a result of this incident that occurred.”
Barrie police have released the following descriptions of the two suspects:
Suspect No. 1: Male with brown skin, 17 to 20 years old, standing five-foot-six to five-foot eight, and weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a close-fitting cloth on his head, possibly with short dreadlocks beneath, a dark coloured T-shirt with a large distinctive design on the back, and dark pants. He was seen in the company of two males and a female just prior to the incident.
Suspect No. 2: Male with a dark brown complexion, in his 40s, standing five-foot-six with a heavy-set build, and approximately 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark hoody with a light shirt under and dark pants.
Police say investigators are also hoping to speak to any onlookers to help identify the suspects.
“We know that there were people that witnessed this that had their cellphones out and we are asking them to come forward and provide any visual evidence that they may have to us," Leon said.
Anyone with video and who can assist in the investigation is asked to contact Det.-Const. Simon Latham at 705-725-7025, ext. 2743.
