GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Police responded to the scene of a brutal stabbing early Saturday morning.
Around 3:30 a.m. officers were dispatched to the area of Leonard St. and Ionia Ave. N.W. Upon arrival, the victim was located with stab wounds to his upper body in a nearby alley.
The victim has been identified as Justin Woods, a 24-year-old Grand Rapids resident.
Police said the man was stabbed multiple times apparently after an argument arose between two men regarding a fight that had occurred earlier in the night in which a woman was punched.
Initial on-scene reports lead police to believe the suspect may have entered a nearby apartment, prompting the Grand Rapids Police Special Response Team to respond.
Leonard St. was shut down between Division and Monroe for several hours while officials investigated.
After getting a search warrant, authorities searched the residence they believed the suspect was hiding in, but said he wasn’t inside.
Police are still searching for the suspect, who they describe as a black male in his 20’s. They have identified the suspect and are making efforts to find him.
Officers said the victim came out of surgery and was placed in the ICU of a local hospital Saturday morning. He is expected to survive.
An employee from Med-1, a business close to the scene, said police told them to stay inside until they were given the ‘all clear’.
