DWBIA looks to Windsor Police for action

By Adam El-Baba

Windsor Police Service have released details of the downtown stabbing that occurred on the block between University Avenue West and Park Street Oct. 19.

The brawl left five people with minor injuries and one University of Windsor student dead. Police Chief Al Frederick said he can’t recall any incident similar to this in his 29 years of service.

“This event does not appear to be random and was between two groups of young men who engaged in a fight at the corner of Pelissier and University,” said Frederick. “Although not all members knew each other, several did.”

At a press conference Oct.21, police officials outlined details from the brawl that led to the death of Gautham (Kevin) Kugathasan. Frederick said there has been little cooperation with people involved in the incident, including victims and by-standers.

“I can tell you from experience, that our presence doesn’t always deter people from being engaged in an emotionally-encouraged event like this,” said Frederick.

The melee began just after 2 a.m. outside Mynt Nightclub and ended at the corner of Pelissier and Park Street.

Ali Mahmoud Ahmed, 30, has been charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and 22 year-old Dwayne Nicholas Pierce has been charged with first degree murder.

Inspector in charge of the investigation William Donnelly said the investigation is still on going and more charges are still to be made.

“Right now that number (of suspects) is fluctuating because of the lack of the cooperation the detectives are getting,” said Donnelly. “We’re reviewing video, we’re at at least 10 (persons of interest) that we know of … but that number may grow. We are trying to identify all the people that were involved in this particular incident.”

With seven officers on the scene during the brawl, Mayor Eddie Francis said the incident could not have been handled more efficiently.

“We are not going to deplete city-wide coverage for downtown. It’s got to be balanced. That’s what we’ve arrived at. We’ve arrived at balance, we’ve arrived at overlap. We’ve allowed us maximizing resources,” said Francis.  “But people in South-Windsor, or people in East Riverside, or people in mid-town, when somebody’s breaking into their car or somebodies breaking into their house at 4 or 5 a.m. they need to know that when they pick up the phone for service that there is service there.”

Francis said he is responding to criticism from businesses downtown, including the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association. DWBIA Chair, Larry Horwitz, said he wants to see a larger police presence at night to help prevent crime.

“If you look at downtown at three or four in the morning, it’s like Time Square in New York,” said Horwitz. “That’s the busy time downtown, and that’s the time we’ve got to have really good security and make sure that it’s comfortable for everybody.”

Francis also said ‘the strategy that is in place today is not a typical in the police service,’ and there is already a heightened police presence during those times.

“It’s a strategy that not typical in many municipalities but it’s a strategy that we arrived to after years and years and years of [being a] particular downtown opposing different challenges, “said Francis

Anyone with information is advised to contact crime stoppers at 519-258-TIPS of the WPS at 519-255-6700.

“This tragic situation is a wakeup call,” said Horwitz. “If we sit idly by and let this incident go unnoticed and push it to the side and say everything is great, we’re fooling ourselves.”