When two North Kildonan men saw a thief breaking into their neighbour’s car, they took action.
But instead of the suspect going to jail, the men wound up in the hospital with multiple stab wounds.
“I’m just so thankful my friend is not dead,” said Mike Koop.
Koop thought he was doing the right thing by stopping a thief from breaking into a car, but the right thing, sent him and his friend to the hospital.
“Half an inch higher and I would have lost my eye, so yeah, it’s kind of scary,” said Koop, sitting on the front steps on his home, still wearing his bloody shorts and shirt.
He was stabbed millimeters below his right eye, his friend is still in the hospital in stable condition with four stab wounds, three to his stomach.
It happened just after midnight in a normally quiet North Kildonan neighbourhood.
“It’s just hard believe it happened,” said Koop, “your own backyard, this is where my kids play.”
When the men noticed a stranger inside their neighbour’s car, they yelled at him, and asked what he was doing. Instead of running away, the thief chased them and began attacking them in the back lane.
“I got stabbed first, then I let go of him and they continued to fight because I was kind of out of it, I was a little fuzzy for a minute or two,” said Koop.
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After the men realized they had been stabbed they rushed back to their house to get help.
“There was blood everywhere,” said Koop’s wife Christine, “his face was bleeding so we just grabbed towels and applied presser and called 911.”
Detectives returned Wednesday morning to investigate. Police say the two men were only acting on impulse.
“I personally don’t think that’s taking justice into their own hands,” said Constable Eric Hofley, with the Winnipeg Police Service, “that’s our citizens being concerned about what they’re seeing and trying to act.”
Koop, a father of three young children, says next time he’ll think twice before getting involved but would like to thank the paramedics and police for their quick response.
“They just did an amazing job doing what they do,” said Koop, “I really hope they get this guy.”
The suspect is described as aboriginal, 17-22 years old, slim, 6 feet tall, short hair, with a mole on his face.
If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of this man, they’re asked to call Crimestoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
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