‘Unprovoked incident’: Hamilton police identify man stabbed outside bar, suspect charged with second-degree murder

Hamilton police are investigating a homicide that happened at Peddles Pub & Restaurant. (CP24/Simon Sheehan)

Police in Hamilton say the fatal stabbing of a man in Hamilton early Sunday morning was an “unprovoked incident” between two strangers.

The incident happened at Peddles Tavern at 1490 Barton St., south of Kenilworth Avenue North.

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Hamilton Police Service (HPS) said they were called to that area around 1:45 a.m. for reports of a male who had been stabbed.

There, officers found a male with stab wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he later died of his injuries.

The victim has been identified as 34-year-old Shah Ghafoori, from the Hamilton area. He is the city’s 10th murder victim of the year.

“At this time, it appears the victim and suspect were not known to each other, and the attack was unprovoked. It could have happened anywhere,” Det. Sgt Sara Beck told reporters outside HPS’s Central Station on Sunday afternoon. “The accused exited and as the victim came outside, he was attacked and again, unprovoked as far we can tell.”

Det. Sgt. Sara Beck, Hamilton Police Services speaking to reporters on Dec. 15. Beck said police have interviewed several witnesses at the scene and still do not know why this “very unprovoked incident” occurred.

She added that the suspect left the main part of the bar, followed by the victim, prior to the stabbing, which Beck said occurred inside a “small vestibule out front of the bar that leads to the inside at the front area.”

Beck said the victim suffered a stab wound to his upper body area.

Pierce Herod, 28, from the St. Catharines area, was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder.

This is the second time in recent months that Peddles Tavern has seen violence at or near its premises.

Man found shot outside same tavern last August

In August, police responded to a shooting in the bar's parking lot and found a 20-year-old man and a 28-year-old man with non-life-threatening injuries.

"My information is the incident that happened at Peddles Tavern was not directly related to the tavern itself. It just occurred in the parking lot," Insp. Jim Callender told reporters during an Aug. 25 news conference.

"I don't know if there was a disturbance that happened within Peddles earlier or anything like that, but it just happened to be in the vicinity of Peddles Tavern."

Callender said then it appeared to be a "targeted" shooting.

Hamilton police said they will be notifying the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario about this latest incident. The Crown agency will then conduct its own investigation, Beck, of HPS, said.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact Hamilton police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CP24's Bryann Aguilar.