Editor's note: This story has been updated to include details provided by a witness.
One person has been arrested following an aggravated assault Friday night in Orillia.
At about 10:15 p.m., Orillia OPP officers responded to a report of a disturbance on Mississaga Street West. They arrived to find a male in distress and holding a knife. The male tried to approach police with the knife and, after a brief struggle, he was arrested, Orillia OPP said in a news release.
Two victims were found outside the residence. One had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The other had minor injuries. One victim was taken to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
While responding to the disturbance call, an OPP cruiser had mechanical failure that resulted in a spontaneous fire. It was not related to the incident. No officers were injured.
Police say there is no threat to public safety.
The investigation is ongoing, and police said no further information is being provided at this time.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestopperssdm.com.
A witness, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, says the incident happened near where they live.
"I was sleeping and heard a bit of a commotion," they said. "I heard someone groaning and kind of screaming."
When an ambulance arrived, the witness says they heard a victim say they were stabbed four times.
"There were a couple of people lying on the ground with paramedics there with them," they said. "I got my boyfriend to come and see, and by that time police were already there."
The next time the witness looked out their window, they saw a police car on fire.
"It went up into flames really quickly," they said. "There was a police officer who ran to our door and a couple of the other houses to get us out.
The witness says they were "scared" during the incident that lasted "about an hour."
"It was terrifying," they said, "but the police and the ambulance were really quick to respond, and they were really good to get the situation under control."
The witness says they didn't recognize anyone involved in the incident.
"It was too dark to see," they said.
— With files from Tyler Evans
