35-year old charged with attempted murder following stabbing of Saint John police officer
A 35-year-old man is facing six charges, including attempted murder, after stabbing a Saint John police officer Wednesday night at a hardware store.
The incident occurred around 8:02 p.m. Wednesday evening after officers responded to reports of a man with a knife threatening staff and causing damage inside a Canadian Tire on the city’s west side.
“As one of our members were making there way into the store to assist, they were subsequently stabbed by the suspect,” says Saint John Regional Police Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca.
Constable Jonathan Grenier was treated by first responders on site before being transported to hospital with non-life-threating injuries. He remained in hospital on Thursday afternoon in stable condition.
Officers quickly were able to take the suspect into custody without further incident. There were still a number of people at the store when the incident occurred, but no other physical injuries were reported.
“That shows the professionalism on our team,” credits Saint John Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie. “They are well trained and they have a lot of experience so I congratulate them on a job well done and I hope the officer gets well soon.”
Corey James Clarke appeared in Saint John court Thursday afternoon. On top of attempted murder, the 35-year old is also facing charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, mischief under $5,000, and resisting arrest.
Members of Saint John police’s victim services team were available for officers and residents Wednesday night following the incident, with a psychologist also on hand for staff who needed it.
“It’s not a common occurrence that one of our officer gets injured in the line of duty so we all feel that, and I would that’s the mood today,” says Staff Sergeant Rocca. “I’m in my 21st year and I can’t recall an officer being stabbed in the line of duty.”
The force’s Major Crimes Unit and Forensic Services continue to investigate.
The Canadian Tire was reopened to the public Thursday, but the store declined to comment on the incident.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
Health Canada warns some naloxone kits contain false instructions
Health Canada is warning some take-home naloxone kits come with bad instructions that should be ignored in favour of the correct guidance.