Caught on camera: Saint John police investigating alleged uptown assault

A violent assault in uptown Saint John, N.B., was caught on video Tuesday night.

Saint John police are searching for an unspecified number of alleged youths seen in security camera footage posted online of an apparent assault between adults and minors.

Saint John police were called to Prince William Street around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday after reports that alleged youths were involved in a fight and had used an unidentified weapon and aerosol irritant on an adult. During the altercation, a front window was smashed at Java Moose Coffee Roasters.

Police say they arrived at the scene less then two minutes after receiving the call. While the adults in the video remained on scene to speak with police, the youths- whose ages have not yet been confirmed- fled on foot before officers arrived.

“It’s still an active investigation so there haven’t been any charges yet,” says Saint John Police Force Staff Sargent Shawna Fowler.

There is no word on who or what may have caused the altercation.

“Any incident that you see like that it’s concerning,” says Fowler.

“Obviously you don’t want to see people involved where they’re getting harmed, especially when there’s no explanation to you as to why this this is happening.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the alleged youth’s identity to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

Java Moose owner Glen McLean says beginning his day by learning about his storefront’s status was a bit disheartening.

Having worked uptown for several years, he says the area is one of the best places in the Maritimes between its nightlife, restaurants, and upgrades to the waterfront. The unfortunate thing, he says, is that is seems some people moving to the area don’t have that same sense of pride for the city.

“There’s so many things that all of us have created down there which are being sacrificed, and I think sacrifice is the right word,” he says.

“We have to do something, we certainly recognize that there’s a lot of desperation out there. But if we don’t have a place, if we don’t have an incredible uptown area, then that desperation will continue.”

McLean adds it has become a bit more challenging at times to operate in the uptown between crime, construction, and other issues, but remains upbeat about Saint John being an incredible place to live and work.

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