Man’s leg partially amputated after violent altercation in Charlottetown

A violent early morning altercation Sunday outside a Charlottetown tattoo parlour has left one man in a Halifax hospital with partially amputated leg. Charlottetown Police Deputy Chief Brad MacConnell says two people showed up in a vehicle shortly after 5 a.m. Dec. 23 outside Extreme Ink on Kensington Road. The owner came out of the tattoo parlour before an argument broke out. “The dispute arose over a female friend that was in the tattoo parlour at the time, which led to a heated exchange in the parking lot, which escalated very quickly and violently,’’ says MacConnell.

Only the passenger exited the vehicle. Police believe the driver intentionally struck the owner of Extreme Ink, pinning him against a building. A passerby says he heard a crash and saw a vehicle speeding away very fast from the scene. The driver has been charged with aggravated assault with a weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 31. “The vehicle was used as a weapon,” says MacConnell. “There’s no innocent parties in this scenario. We expect to lay charges against everybody involved for their actions in this event.’’ A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Donald (Artie) Gautreau, who the organizer says is the man injured. The organizer of the fundraiser did not agree to an interview and wishes to remain anonymous. The Guardian cannot independently confirm some of the details in the GoFundMe post, which had generated more than $1,000 by Wednesday. MacConnell says the tattoo parlour owner is in stable condition in a Halifax hospital after part of his leg was amputated.

The investigation is ongoing.