Sudbury police charge downtown stabbing suspect with first-degree murder

Sudbury -

A 24-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder, assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose in fatal downtown Sudbury stabbing, police said.

Officers were called to the scene of a serious assault at the intersection of Lisgar and Larch streets just before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"Officers arrived on scene and located a man who had sustained serious injuries and required immediate medical attention. He was transported to hospital by City of Greater Sudbury Paramedic Services where he was unfortunately pronounced deceased by medical professionals," Greater Sudbury Police Service said in a news release.

The victim has been identified as 39-year-old Jeffrey Drysdale.

After closing off several downtown roads, officers patrolled the area.

Sudbury police have cordoned off intersection downtown at Larch Street and Lisgar Street. Dec. 15/21 (Alana Everson/CTV Northern Ontario)

"Through the investigation, it was determined that the man believed to be responsible for the assault was inside of an apartment unit on Lisgar Street," police said.

He was arrested without incident just before 2 p.m. and he is scheduled to appear in bail court Thursday.

The investigation into the incident is continuing.

"This is believed to be an isolated incident as we believe that the involved individuals are known to each other," police said.

"Neither of the involved individuals are part of the homeless population and there is no evidence to suggest that they are tied to those living in Memorial Park."

Greater Sudbury Police Service said it assigns officers to patrol the downtown area on a daily basis.

"We recognize and understand the ongoing concerns regarding the perception of public safety and visibility of crime in the downtown core," police said.

"We continue to exercise our enforcement capabilities in circumstances where it is appropriate to do so, particularly in the area of illicit drug dealing and violent crimes. Focused patrols are not solely about deterring crime and enforcement, Officers also focus on outreach to our vulnerable population by establishing positive relationships built on trust while providing information on available social services. Through our downtown strategy and working in collaboration with our community partners, we are committed to addressing the issues and concerns associated to our downtown."

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-8477.

The allegation has not been proven in court.