Attempted murder charge in relation to hospital incident

A Fort Erie man was arrested and charged Friday in relation to the stabbing and police involved shooting that occurred May 18 within Fort Erie’s urgent care centre.

Niagara Regional Police said Brandon Stewart, 29, is charged with the alleged offences of attempt murder and assault with a weapon.

Police said no further information will be released at this time due to an ongoing investigation by the Ontario Special Investigations Unit.

Police previously said the incident at the urgent care centre occurred about 7:50 p.m., after officers were called to the site for reports of a stabbing.

Not long after the officers were on scene, police said they interacted with a male.

Police said as a result of that interaction, the male suffered a serious injury.

Two persons were transferred to an out-of-town trauma centre with serious injuries. Police said the officers involved were not injured in the interaction.

The SIU has invoked its mandate and is investigation the situation.

The NRP said it would conduct a parallel investigation in conjunction with the SIU.

According to the SIU, which is an arm’s-length agency that investigates incidents involving police when there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault, when police arrived they found a 61year-old man suffering from knife wounds. Soon after, a 29year-old man approached the officers.

“There was an interaction between officers and the 29-yearold man, and one officer discharged his firearm,” the SIU said in a news release.

The man was taken to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., for treatment.

The stabbing victim was also taken to the Buffalo hospital. They were last reported by to be in stable condition.

No police officers were injured. The urgent care centre was closed overnight May 18 as the SIU conducted its investigation. Patients were redirected to Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls. The Bertie Street site reopened the next morning.