A 33-year-old man is in London hospital after being stabbed in the back of the neck Friday night in Sarnia.
Sarnia Police say officers responded around 8 p.m. to a call of a man lying on the ground outside of an apartment building in the 800 block of Devine Street (between Indian Rd. and Lilian St.), according to a news release.
“Police and ambulance located the conscious male victim who was bleeding from the back of his neck, but had difficulty moving parts of his body,” police said, adding that the victim was taken to Bluewater Health.
Police say investigation reveals the victim had been riding his bicycle on Davis Street, when he encountered two other males.
“A verbal interaction between the victim and the two males occurred,” police stated. “The encounter escalated into a physical confrontation during which one of the male suspects stabbed the victim in the back of the neck.”
The two suspects fled from the area on foot.
Police say a preliminary medical examination of the victim indicated he sustained a serious injury to his spinal cord. He has since been transported to Victoria hospital in London for specialized trauma care.
“The extent of any permanent injury is not yet known,” police said. “He is expected to survive, but with a serious risk of having sustained life altering injuries.”
The Sarnia Police Service is requesting assistance from anyone who may have witnessed the interaction between the victim and the two male suspects. Residents and drivers in the area are being asked to immediately review their home security systems and/or dash cams for any images that may be related to this incident, especially between 7pm and 8:30pm.
Sarnia police officers will in that neighbourhood on Saturday January 13th to continue the investigation.
“Serious and violent crimes must never be tolerated or normalized in our community. The nature of this young man’s potential injuries are appalling, with lasting ramifications for both him and his family. Community safety is a shared responsibility and our mutual success depends on public support. SPS investigative teams are actively working on this investigation and are looking for security images or other information that may assist.” – Chief Derek Davis, Sarnia Police.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sarnia Police Criminal Investigations Division at 519-344-8861 or call Sarnia Lambton Crime Stoppers at 519-332-8477.