A fight on West Chippewa Street turned bloody and bizarre Friday night when one man allegedly stabbed another, then lost his balance and stabbed himself as he fell backward, according to police. Buffalo police responded around 8 p.m. to the first block of West Chippewa Street, where officers found two men injured. Neither man's wounds were considered life-threatening, and both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
According to WGRZ, police confirmed that assault and weapon charges will be filed against the man who wielded the knife once he is released from the hospital. As reported by Syracuse.com, police expect to charge him with both assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The station's report notes that both men were transported to Erie County Medical Center on Grider Street in East Buffalo for treatment.
The hospital operates as Western New York's designated Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, according to Erie County Medical Center Corporation. Reports describe a fight and stabbing, followed by the man's accidental self-injury as he fell backward.
What Charges Could Follow
Under New York Penal Law Section 120.05, Assault in the Second Degree applies when someone intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, and it is classified as a Class D violent felony that can carry state prison time. Separately, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree under Penal Law Section 265.01 is a Class A misdemeanor covering anyone who knowingly possesses a dangerous knife with intent to use it unlawfully against another person, with a maximum penalty of up to one year in county jail.
A Corridor Already Under Scrutiny
Friday's stabbing lands in a stretch of West Chippewa Street that city officials have been trying to stabilize for months. In July, the City of Buffalo installed physical traffic barriers along the block between Delaware Avenue and Franklin Street, a move aimed at curbing vehicle congestion and pedestrian brawls in the entertainment district, per the same WGRZ coverage.
The Buffalo Common Council went further in September, approving mandatory safety permit conditions for venues on West Chippewa Street that require establishments to submit security plans to the Buffalo Police Department and use digital ID scanners at the door. Those measures came after a summer marked by security incidents, and they haven't been cheap: maintaining expanded weekend police patrols along the corridor cost the city over $60,000 per weekend over the summer, according to municipal statements reported by WGRZ.
A Proposed Age Cutoff Still Pending
Buffalo Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski has proposed a 21-and-older entry rule for the West Chippewa Street entertainment district between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday, arguing that unvetted crowd gatherings in nearby parking lots have preceded violent fights. Whether that proposal will win Common Council approval remains an open question.
What specifically triggered Friday's fight has not been disclosed.
