Winnipeg police are sounding the alarm bells on machetes after a teen was slashed in the face Sunday afternoon.
Two groups of teens left the St. Vital Skatepark and went into the woods when one group robbed the other.
In the process, a 14-year-old boy was assaulted with a machete, leaving him seriously injured.
His other friends got away unharmed, though one had his bike stolen.
“If any parents see their kid or teenager with a machete, it’s something you need to throw out,” Constable Jay Murray explained. “There’s no good reason to have that machete here in the city. We find incidents like this where it’s used against other individuals, and it causes significant injuries.”
The victim was sent to hospital in critical condition but has since been upgraded to stable.
“They can be purchased at a number of stores here in Winnipeg. I used to work in the North End and I saw stores that would sell them,” Murray said. “I think I’ve echoed this before, but I’m not sure what the purpose of a machete in the city is.”
An 18-year-old and two 17-year-old boys were arrested. They all face charges of aggravated assault, robbery and failing to comply with a sentence.