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Police charge suspects in gun bust, assault during Winona Peach Festival

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Hamilton police have identified a 23-year-old man who was arrested Saturday for allegedly carrying a handgun with a high-capacity magazine at the Winona Peach Festival, and officers charged another man who later used a baseball bat to attack a man in a nearby parking lot.

Investigators say a “disturbance” broke out around 9:20 p.m. between two men at the festival and bystanders told officers one of them was armed.

Insp. Jim Callender told a news conference Sunday that police used pepper spray and batons to disperse some in the crowd who were “attempting to impede or swarm in” on the officers trying to arrest the armed man.

He was then arrested and charged.

“The actions of these officers that night at the Winona Peach Festival, they stopped what could have been a tragedy,” Callender said.

In an update Monday, investigators identified the man as Devontae Trevon Sutherland of Toronto. He has been charged with knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited firearm – loaded, and three counts of possession of a prohibited weapon.

Sutherland remains in custody at this time.

Nearly an hour later, at 10:30 p.m., Hamilton police were called to a parking lot near the festival where a 53-year-old man was allegedly being attacked by four males with a baseball bat who fled the scene.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton police prevent potential shooting at Winona Peach Festival

Investigators discovered that a group, including the suspects, were making a lot of noise in a Tim Hortons parking lot when a nearby resident asked them to turn down the music because it was preventing sleep.

One of the males allegedly responded with profanity. Police say the resident and two family members confronted the group before one of them sustained serious head and facial injuries and another sustained minor injuries from the baseball bat.

Hamilton police announced Monday that 19-year-old Zachary Thomas Pereira of Stoney Creek has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, and uttering threats to cause death.

WATCH MORE: Neighbours ‘really concerned’ after violent night at the Winona Peach Festival

Hamilton police had previously said they were increasing their presence at the festival and several other fairs over the coming months. The move came after what police had described as a “concerning uptick” in robberies and swarming incidents carried out by young people at several community festivals last summer.

Anyone who was involved in the incidents or who has any further information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Candace Culp at 905-546-2907 or the division two on-duty staff sergeant at 905-546-2963.