Arrests made in Canada Day attack on Ukrainian immigrants in Winnipeg

Two men and a teenaged boy have been charged in connection with a violent attack that saw a Ukrainian refugee stabbed in the neck during Canada Day celebrations in Winnipeg.

Police have previously said they were called to Israel Asper Way, near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, around 10:45 p.m. on July 1.

Officers found two male adult victims in their twenties, one who had been bear sprayed and another who they said was “bleeding profusely with a life-threatening” injury.

The man who was stabbed was rushed to hospital in critical condition, where he later stabilized.

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Police say the two men — identified by witnesses as recently-arrived Ukrainian refugees — had been walking in the area when they bumped into an oncoming group of people. The victims were attacked during the resulting altercation, police said.

Jorge Torres, who was driving nearby when the stabbing happened and helped the victims before police arrived, told Global News the man who had been stabbed still had the knife in his neck when he and his wife approached.

He said his wife, who is originally from Ukraine and speaks Ukrainian, was able to help, as the victim was with a friend who didn’t speak English.

“It just shows these things that are going on here,” Torres said in the days following the assault.

“This guy’s been here two weeks — he doesn’t have enemies, he’s not involved in gangs and all that here. This could’ve been anybody. It could’ve been me.”

On Friday police announced three teens have been arrested after an investigation in which police interviewed witnesses and combed through hours of CCTV surveillance footage.

Two 19-year-old men, and a 15-year-old boy, all from Winnipeg, have each been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The 15-year-old is also charged with robbery in connection with an unrelated incident, police said.

All three of the accused have been detained in police custody.

— with files from Global News’ Sam Thompson