SIU investigating after death of man involved in violent altercation
A violent altercation in the King’s Town district of Kingston has led to the Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) invoking its mandate.
The incident – a reported stabbing of a young woman in the area of Patrick and Fraser Streets – occurred on the evening of Thursday, Jul. 6, 2023. Emergency responders first attended the area at approximately 6:30 p.m. after a reported assault with a weapon. The majority of police present remained on scene until well after 10 p.m., with a few officers remaining over night and into the next day.
According to witnesses, the victim was taken to hospital and is in stable condition.
“On July 6, 2023, at approximately 6:25 p.m. Kingston Police responded to a call of an individual with a knife attempting to enter a residence in the area of Fraser Street and Patrick Street,” Const. Ash Gutheinz, Media Relations Officer for Kingston Police, confirmed the following morning.
“Upon arrival, officers had an interaction with this individual, which prompted Kingston Police to contact the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).”
The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, which has jurisdiction over municipal and provincial police officers in Ontario. The SIU investigates police-involved incidents involving:
- The death of a person
- The serious injury of a person
- The discharge of a firearm at a person
- The sexual assault of a person, as reported by that person
“Under the legislation Kingston Police cannot comment any further until the SIU has completed their investigation,” Gutheinz said, directing media inquiries to the SIU.
The SIU issued a press release at approximately 11:40 a.m. on Friday, Jul. 7, 2023, confirming they are investigating, and disclosing that the suspect in this case is now deceased.
“The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in Kingston last night,” the SIU said, noting that Kingston Police confronted the male suspect prior to him stabbing the female victim. After the stabbing, the man barricaded himself inside the residence. When officers entered the residence, the suspect was located deceased.
The deceased man has not yet been identified, the SIU said.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.
Area residents respond
One area resident who identified herself as a friend of the stabbing victim spoke with Kingstonist on the scene while police remained positioned outside the residence the suspect had barricaded himself in. She indicated that the victim is expected to fully recover. But she was just one of many area residents who gathered outside as the situation unfolded.
“We came back from a park, and we see that there’s cops everywhere and we were just wondering what was going on,” a Patrick Street resident named Silva told Kingstonist on Thursday night.
“I come over to some of my neighbours standing here at the park, and we find out that somebody was stabbed under the armpit.”
Silva, who said she witnessed the suspect entering multiple homes, “running around,” and carrying a backpack full of firearms, appeared to be in his 30s. Kingstonist has not verified the allegation the suspect had firearms at the time of these events, as Kingston Police cannot comment on the investigation.
“I’ve just never seen anything like this! I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories happen in the neighborhood, but I’ve personally not seen anything. And this is just crazy!” Silva expressed with urgency.
“I just don’t know if I can go outside at night.”
As of noon on Friday, Jul. 7, 2023, two Kingston Police cruisers remained on scene at the residence where the stabbing occurred.