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Five men were stabbed in Old Sacramento just after 3 a.m. on Saturday July 25, near Front and K streets. On July 30 the Sacramento Police Department set out a weekend security plan for the waterfront tourist district.
Officers found three of the men at the scene, each with at least one stab wound, and all three were taken to hospital. Two more men connected to the incident arrived at an area hospital later with stab wounds. All five were in stable condition. Police spokesperson Allison Smith said officers responded to reports of an assault involving a weapon, and that some form of confrontation preceded the attack.
Ezekiel Griffis, 18, of Sacramento, was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on charges connected to the assault. Two other people detained during the investigation were released. Police have not said whether Griffis knew any of the victims.
From this weekend, Sacramento police will run extra patrols every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 10 p.m. The department is also bringing in night-time traffic restrictions across Old Sacramento. Drivers can still enter and leave the district, but several streets become pedestrian only after 10 p.m. in what police call a cooling period. Officers say the change improves sightlines, cuts congestion and lets them reach incidents faster.
"If we need to step into something, we will be there right away," Smith said. Police will also enforce the city's existing night-time curfew for minors more firmly, and have asked parents to keep track of where their children are after dark.
The Downtown Sacramento Partnership is expanding private security alongside the police effort. HQ Security will double its staffing and patrol coverage in the district on Friday and Saturday nights. Michael Ault, the partnership's executive director, said the area has become a late-night destination and that the pattern needs to stop.
The stabbing happened long after most businesses in the district had closed, during a fight involving a group of young people. Old Sacramento is one of the city's main visitor attractions, and business leaders have framed the response as protecting both public safety and the district's reputation with visitors.
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