Hamilton police respond to three knife-related calls in 12 hours, one involving teens

Hamilton police say they responded to three separate knife-related incidents within a 12 hour period, one of which involved a 15-year-old girl who allegedly attacked a 14-year-old boy.

In a video posted to social media, police cars can be seen lining Wentworth Street North, near Cathedral High School in Central Hamilton.

That’s where police say a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by another teen early Wednesday morning.

“Typically, we’re responding to teen calls involving bear spray or mace — this time it was a knife,” said Officer Trevor McKenna with Hamilton police.

Investigators say the 14-year-old boy was stabbed several times in the neck and face at around 1 a.m., and was taken to McMaster Children’s Hospital, where he is expected to survive.

While at the scene, a bystander directed police toward a 15-year-old girl, who is accused of attacking the boy with a knife. That knife was seized, and the girl was arrested without incident.

“I can tell you it was a 15-year-old female that was the aggressor — she was found with the knife,” said McKenna.

Police are still investigating if the two knew each other, and what led up to the violence.

That incident was just one of three calls officers responded to involving a knife in less than a day.

The first took place around 11 hours earlier — around 2 p.m. — in which bystanders called police about a man carrying a weapon in broad daylight, at the busy intersection of King and John Streets downtown.

“We had several witnesses saying he was saving the knife indiscriminately, and was subsequently arrested,” said McKenna.

The man — later identified as a 53-year-old from Hamilton — briefly fled from officers, but was found and arrested nearby. A search revealed he had a spring-loaded folding knife. He has been charged and held for bail.

Around 8:45 p.m. officers got another knife-related call, this time in front of the MacNab Street Presbyterian Church and next to the Hamilton GO Station, a fight broke out between a 34-year-old woman and a 37-year-old woman, both from Hamilton.

“The two females do know each other. There was an interaction between the two and the accused did end up taking an edged weapon or a knife and slashing her in the face,” said McKenna.

The 37-year-old was arrested without incident, and released from police custody on an undertaking.

Police say there’s no threat to public safety, with no outstanding suspects in any of the incidents, but the sheer number is concerning.

“It’s quite concerning and we just want to remind the public that with edged weapons, it doesn’t take a whole lot of pressure to cause a fatal injury,” said McKenna.

Hamilton police are also reporting another incident involving a group of teenagers Wednesday.

It happened in the parking lot of Westdale Secondary School, with police saying one teen had confronted the group with a can of bear spray and attempted to use it, but it didn’t work.

Instead, the suspect hit another person with the can. The teenage suspect was arrested by police a short distance away.

Hamilton police are reminding the public that “weapons-related violence will not be tolerated,” and they will be fully investigating all incidents to ensure the community’s safety.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-546-4725.

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