Four people have been charged in a violent home invasion that occurred last week in Woodstock, N.B.

Police say the suspects forced their way into a home, carrying machetes, axes, and knives.

When police arrived at the apartment building, they found, what one officer called, a scene of chaos. Several people were fighting, some with weapons.

“They discovered the apartment in question had most of the windows on the front side broken out, smashed out and one person was on the ground, bleeding profusely as a result of multiple stab wounds,” says Acting Sgt. Carter Stone of the Woodstock Police Force.

Christopher Mark Hamilton, 20, was one of three people appearing in Woodstock court Monday.

He's charged with break and enter and assault with a hatchet in connection with the incident.

Ian Douglas Fenton, 26, is also charged. Police say he was among those arrested as they tried to elude officers.

“One vehicle was attempting to exit the property and was stopped by police and as a result of their initial investigation, those three individuals in that vehicle were arrested and taken into custody on the spot,” says Stone.

CTV News spoke to a number of residents in the neighbourhood, but none were willing to be named. However, one woman did say she saw at least two people flee the scene, one carrying what appeared to be an axe.

Everyone we spoke to said there had never been trouble at the building before.

Police say those inside the apartment weren't seriously injured, but that one of the suspects was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for serious, but non-life threatening, stab wounds.

Police believe others, beyond the four charged, were involved.

“We're still, at this point, trying to determine to what extent who was involved and what exactly took place and with the amount of people and the lack of cooperation, it's challenging to conduct an investigation that way,” says Stone.

Three of the four accused will return to court next month. Two of them have been released until their next appearance.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell