Brockville, Ont. police respond to large bar fight, separate stabbing downtown

The Brockville Police Service responded to two serious incidents in the city's downtown on Saturday morning.

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At around 12:30 a.m., officers responded to a "group altercation" outside a bar on King Street West. Police say it became physical and involved approximately 15 to 20 people. The incident is under investigation and police have identified multiple suspects.

"Probably everyone that we had working that night would have attended that call," said Inspector Darryl Boyd with the Brockville Police Service. "Anywhere from the range of four to six officers were probably on duty at that point of the day."

Police say a second call came in at around 7:00 a.m., when officers received a report of a stabbing on Buell Street, which intersects with King Street West.

King Street West is home to many small businesses that rely on foot traffic. Some business owners in the area of Saturday’s incidents say they are impressed with how police handle these situations.

"We’re still a small community here in Brockville," said Dan Sparring, owner of the shoe store, Limestone and Ivy. "Whenever there are some issues downtown, Brockville police seem to take care of it pretty quickly."

Paul Goodyer is part-owner of a Cosies Tea Shop, and says he has noticed an increased police presence in the downtown area compared to previous years.

"We’ve seen a lot more of them in the last year than we had before,” he said.

Police say they don’t focus more on one area of the city than the other, but are aware of the risks in the downtown core, specifically around King Street West.

The police department says it received 192 calls for service between Feb. 12 and 17, a span of 5 days. Police have laid 41 charges as a result and say the numbers have remained fairly consistent over the past year.