The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking the public to refrain from sharing unverified information while they search for a suspect involved in a stabbing that took place earlier this week in Deep River.
On Wednesday evening, police in the small eastern Ontario town near Pembroke issued a shelter-in-place order for almost 20 hours following what they described as a serious incident on Mc Elligott Drive that afternoon.
A woman was stabbed and taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to the OPP, who were called in for assistance.
“That hasn’t changed,” Sgt. Erin Cranton, an OPP spokesperson, informed about the victim’s status on Friday afternoon.
The woman was initially taken to a local hospital before being moved to a trauma center at an Ottawa hospital, she noted.
Police are not disclosing additional details about her “to protect that family’s privacy.”
They are also withholding any information regarding a suspect, despite what they call “unverified information, images and video circulating on social media that claim to identify or describe a suspect,” as stated in a news release on Friday afternoon.
“Police have not identified a suspect and have not confirmed the accuracy of the information being shared online.”
The OPP and local police urged people to stop spreading unverified information and asked them to remove anything they had posted.
“The spread of unconfirmed information can directly interfere with the investigation, impact witness evidence, and hinder police efforts to identify those responsible,” they added.
‘A heightened sense of caution’
Sgt. Cranton mentioned that the investigation is currently focused within Deep River, although “that doesn’t mean information we receive won’t take us to other places.”
Authorities are continuing to ask residents to stay alert and avoid Mc Elligott Drive between Banting Drive and Granite Lane.
“There’s a lot of video footage and witness accounts and information that we need to go through,” Cranton said regarding the ongoing investigation.
She couldn’t confirm whether OPP is searching for one or more suspects.
“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that the public isn’t aware of concerning our investigation,” Cranton explained.
“Not releasing information regarding a suspect is not due to any desire not to share it. It’s simply about protecting the integrity of our investigation and ensuring we can identify someone responsible.” p>
Deep River Mayor Suzanne D’Eon expressed that she feels less anxious now than when the shelter-in-place order was active. She learned about the stabbing during a meeting on Wednesday. p>Deep River Mayor Suzanne D’Eon says community members are grateful for the police presence. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
However, D’Eon noted there’s still “a heightened sense of caution” among residents in their community of around 4,200 people as some individuals resume their daily routines like going back out for work or school on Friday. p>
D’Eon mentioned there’s still quite an active police presence throughout Deep River on Friday, including officers stationed at town council chambers; something she’s found locals appreciate greatly. p>
“The police are taking this very seriously; it’s significant operation dealing with what happened – who did it – whatever.” p>
“Certainly many people [are] really thinking of the victim,” added D’Eon. p>
D’Eon stated she doesn’t know who exactly the victim is but believes “knowing our community will come together behind them once it’s public knowledge how they’re doing.” p>
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