Four Thunder Bay teens face assault and threat charges after an alleged knife incident
All four accused are 14 years old and have been released following initial court appearances
THUNDER BAY — Four teenagers face assault and threat charges following an alleged incident involving a knife near May Street and Southern Avenue on Friday, October 16.
Thunder Bay Police Service said Primary Response officers were dispatched shortly before 3:15 p.m. after receiving reports of an incident involving weapons.
According to police, officers received information that four teenagers had assaulted an individual. Police allege one suspect possessed a knife and others threatened to cause harm before leaving.
Officers located and arrested three suspects nearby. A fourth suspect was identified and arrested at their residence that evening.
Charges laid against four youths
One 14-year-old male faces four charges:
- Assault with a weapon;
- Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm;
- Obstructing police; and
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
A 14-year-old female and two other 14-year-old males each face charges of assault with a weapon and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
All four have appeared in court and were released from custody with future court dates. Police did not provide those dates, release conditions or information about injuries.
Their identities cannot be published under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The allegations have not been proven in court. All four accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What the charges mean
Assault with a weapon: The Criminal Code provision covers an assault during which a person carries, uses or threatens to use a weapon—or an imitation weapon. The offence does not require proof that someone was stabbed. Police have not described each accused person’s alleged role in sufficient detail to explain the individual basis for all four charges.
Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm: This offence concerns knowingly communicating, conveying or causing someone to receive a threat to kill or physically harm a person. It is a separate allegation from the assault itself.
Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose: This concerns carrying or possessing a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace or to commit an offence. The purpose of possessing the object is central to the charge.
Obstructing police: The Criminal Code’s obstruction provision addresses wilfully interfering with an officer carrying out their duties. Police have not disclosed the conduct behind this allegation or the precise statutory subsection charged.
What penalties could apply to a 14-year-old?
Because the accused are youths, adult prison maximums should not be presented as the sentences they would ordinarily face.
If found guilty and sentenced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, available outcomes include a reprimand, discharge, probation, community service, compensation orders, intensive support and supervision, or custody where legally justified.
Probation can last up to two years. A youth fine can be up to $1,000, subject to the Act’s requirements.
For these offences, an ordinary youth custody-and-supervision order can generally total up to two years for a single offence, including both custody and community supervision. Under that type of order, the usual division is two-thirds in custody and one-third under supervision.
Multiple findings of guilt do not automatically produce consecutive maximum sentences. The Act generally limits the continuous combined duration of youth sentences for different non-murder offences imposed together to three years, subject to statutory exceptions. These are legal limits, not predictions for this case.
Custody is not automatic following a finding of guilt. The court must meet the Act’s custody requirements and consider reasonable alternatives. A violent offence can make custody legally available, but the court must still decide whether it is appropriate in the individual circumstances.
How do adult penalties compare?
For context, the Criminal Code provides the following maximum imprisonment terms when these offences are prosecuted by indictment in the adult system:
| Offence | Adult indictable maximum |
|---|---|
| Assault with a weapon | 10 years |
| Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm | Five years |
| Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose | 10 years |
| Obstructing a peace officer under section 129 | Two years |
These offences can also proceed summarily, with different sentencing limits. The table does not describe the ordinary youth sentencing framework governing this case.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act permits prosecutors to seek an adult sentence for certain offences committed at age 14 or older where the adult maximum exceeds two years. An adult sentence requires a separate application and court decision; it does not follow automatically from the charge.
The Crown must overcome the presumption of reduced moral blameworthiness associated with youth and establish that a youth sentence would be insufficient to hold the young person accountable. The police release provides no indication that an adult sentence is being sought against any accused in this case.
Police reference: TB26041754
