TOWN OF NIAGARA — Town of Niagara police and Niagara County Sheriff’s investigators say charges are pending against an employee of a Military Road eatery after he reportedly stabbed another employee during an altercation in the restaurant’s kitchen.
Officers and deputies responded to a report of a stabbing just after 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Applebee’s location on the 1600 block of Military Road. As two Town of Niagara police officers and a sheriff’s deputy arrived on the scene they said they saw two bloodied men standing in front of the restaurant.
“One of them was holding a knife, possibly to the neck of the other or possibly waving it in the air,” Town Of Niagara Police Chief Craig Guilani said. “The officers and deputy were then able to get between the suspect and the victim.”
Guilani said two of the law enforcement officers drew their Tasers, while the other officer drew his gun and they confronted the suspect.
“They were yelling at him to drop the knife, and other witnesses were telling (the suspect) to drop (the knife) too. They were telling him, ‘Man it’s not worth it’,” Guilani said. “But he was arguing with them and they deployed their Tasers.”
The Town of Niagara Police chief said as a result of the Tasers’ electrical charges, the suspect dropped the knife he was holding and was taken into custody.
The victim was airlifted to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo for treatment of what were described as multiple stab wounds to his upper torso. Guilani said the wounds do not appear to be life-threatening.
The suspect was also taken to ECMC, by ambulance for treatment of what were believed to be “self-inflicted lacerations” to his hands.
Police said the incident began as an altercation between the suspect and victim in the kitchen area of the restaurant. After the stabbing, the victim reportedly ran from the restaurant, followed by the suspect.
Investigators have not yet released the identities of the suspect or the victim.
Guilani said he expects charges will be filed against the suspect later today.