Symphony executive director stabbed in the face at office

The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is reeling after its executive director was stabbed in the face Tuesday.

Mark Turner, 36, was reacting to a man that entered the SSO main office on 20th Street West around 1 p.m. when the interaction became suddenly hostile.

Angela Kempf, director of development with the SSO, said the office has an open door policy. People often come in to browse, buy tickets and seldom people come in to chat. None of that was the case this time.

“They maybe want to talk something through or say something, and we always ask if we can help him,” she said of people walking into the office off the street. “That’s what we were trying to do in this case, but we got no response. He was mumbling something, but I couldn’t make it out.”

“Then he just lunged at (Turner) and hit him in the face.”

A release sent by Saskatoon police Wednesday morning said Turner was stabbed with the blunt end of a fork.

Police were called to the scene, tended to Turner and had left when Kempf noticed the alleged attacker outside the office once again.

Officers spotted him at the intersection of Avenue E South and 20th Street West.

A bystander jumped in to assist the officer in arresting the man until more police arrived. Resisting arrest, the suspected attacker damaged a police car as he was being taken away. He refused to provide his identity to police.

Kempf said the SSO main office door is only open when two or more people are working, but after Tuesday, “that may not be the case anymore.”

She said Turner was released from hospital Tuesday night and is recovering at home.

The stab wound was near his right eye, according to Kempf. Turner does have vision, but can’t “use his eye at the moment.”

“I don’t think he’ll be able to come back to work for a while,” she said.

Police believed the alleged attacker was under the influence of an intoxicant at the time of the incident. Unspecified amounts of hydromorphone and drug paraphernalia were located on him.

A 37-year-old man from Saskatoon has been charged with aggravated assault, mischief, obstructing an officer and possession of hydromorphone.