A Grand Forks man was arrested in the stabbing of a man at a downtown Grand Forks bar after bar employees chased the suspected knife-wielder into a nearby restaurant where he locked himself in the bathroom until police arrived.
Lynn Lee Rice, 63, Grand Forks, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault in the stabbing.
It started when police got a call just before 10 p.m. Saturday that a man in the alley behind Gilly's Bar and Grill, 9 N. Third St., was bleeding from a stab wound in his side.
Emergency responders from the Grand Forks Fire Department and Altru Ambulance showed up and took Lawrence Vargas, 34, to Altru Hospital.
Sgt. Tom Laughlin said the Rice and Vargas knew each other.
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"It started as a fight in the bathroom (in Gilly's) and escalated to a stabbing," Laughlin said.
The bouncers from Gilly's chased Rice down the alley and across Demers Avenue as Rice ran into the Subway restaurant and locked himself in the bathroom, where police found him.
Police found the knife, too.
"Rice had it on him," Laughlin said.
Vargas was treated at Altru then interviewed by a police detective in the hospital about 3 a.m. today. A nursing supervisor said Vargas was discharged later today.
Besides the assault charge, Rice was cited with criminal mischief after he kicked out the rear window of a police vehicle, Laughlin said. "He didn't break the glass, but kicked it out of its frame."
Rice is expected to make an initial court appearance Monday.
