 Stevenson Auguste is on life support in Toronto after a bar brawl in Peterborough Thursday. (Facebook Photo)
|
OTTAWA - An Ottawa man is expected to become Peterborough’s first homicide of the year when his family takes him off life support in a Toronto hospital Sunday.
Stevenson Auguste, 41, a father of three and a native of Saint Lucia who has been in Canada for about five years, was struck in the head during a brawl in a strip club in Peterborough Thursday morning.
“He’s on life support just waiting for his mother and (18-year-old) daughter from Saint Lucia to arrive Sunday to say goodbye,” said his brother-in-law Shawn Barnes of Kemptville.
Barnes said the 41-year-old Auguste was in Peterborough constructing scaffolding when he and some co-workers decided to go to the club after work. As midnight passed, Barnes said Auguste told his buddies he wanted to leave and asked for a drive, but they wanted to stay longer. Shortly after that, the brawl began.
Peterborough police say most, if not everyone in the club became involved in the fight that began with patrons and was joined by staff trying to break it up and eject people.
“We’re doing an investigation into an incident at Thursday’s,” said Peterborough police Sgt. Dan MacLean. “At this point we’re not releasing any information other than the investigation is ongoing. I can’t say if charges will be laid or anything further about this.”
He said he wasn’t aware that Auguste had been hooked up to life support at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre after first being rushed to Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
“He has his work visa and wanted very much to become a citizen,” Barnes said. “You know, he’s a typical Saint Lucia man. He has a peaceful nature about him and he loves life.”
Barnes said Auguste’s wife Julie is disconsolate. She and Auguste have two sons, four and two years old.
scott.taylor@sunmedia.ca
