2 charged after fight in crowd at Winnipeg Jets game leaves bloodied man at bottom of stairs

A man and woman were arrested for assault at the Winnipeg Jets game on Tuesday night after three other people were injured, including a spectator who tried to help security guards and ended up with a bloodied head following a fall in the boards, according to the police.

A 34-year-old man from Winnipeg and a 28-year-old woman from The Pas are facing multiple charges, police said Wednesday.

The events, which unfolded around 9 p.m., caused such a stir that Jets and Colorado Avalanche players stood on the ice to watch the fracas.

Videos and photographs have been posted on social media showing the skirmish, which police say was likely fueled by alcohol.

Security personnel at Canada Life Centre, the Jets’ home rink, were called to a section of the lower bowl of the arena to deal with a disturbance.

The man and woman were uncooperative and assaulted security personnel, a 50-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man, police said in a news release.

Both were assaulted and suffered minor upper body injuries, police said. They received medical treatment on the spot.

During the struggle between security and the two combative fans, other people attending the game stepped in to help. One of them, a 54-year-old man, was assaulted, police said.

He and the 34-year-old man causing the disturbance lost their balance on the stairs and fell, and the 54-year-old’s head hit the rink boards.

The 34-year-old got up and walked back up the stairs, but the other man, whose head was severed, stayed put while other people tended to him.

The 54-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment.

« I’ve never seen anything like it »: fan

Police arrived, handcuffed the two unruly supporters and escorted them out of the stands. As she was taken away, the woman spat at one of the officers, police said.

The police officers who arrested her used a spit mask to prevent her from doing it again.

Police say the victims did not know the two people arrested, who were wearing Avalanche gear during a game that team lost 5-0.

Both face charges of assault and resisting a peace officer, while the woman also faces charges of assaulting a peace officer.

Jeremiah Kornelsen, who sat in the row behind the aggressive pair, says the incident was chilling and shook him.

« I’ve never seen anything like it at an event, really, in the city, whether it’s a Bombers game or a concert or whatever, » he told CBC Wednesday.

« Obviously people are intoxicated all the time, and usually they’re just asked to leave and they leave. It was a lot more. »

He hopes that the people who started the commotion will be banned from future events in the arena.

True North Sports and Entertainment – ​​which owns and operates both the Jets and the Canada Life Center – is focused on working with police and caring for employees and spectators who were affected by the fight, said said director of corporate communications Krista Sinaisky in an email.