Raleigh business owners concerned about safety after 1 person injured in stabbing

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh police are investigating a stabbing that sent one person to the hospital Sunday afternoon.

Raleigh Police responded to calls about a stabbing in the 200 block of South Blount Street just before 12:30 p.m. When officers arrived they found a man with a stab wound.

In the wake of the incident, downtown Raleigh business owners are speaking out once again about the need to shore up security and make sure customers and employees feel safe.

"When business is down you get concerned, and we're hopeful this is sort of the bottom and we'll come out of it," said prominent business owner David Meeker.

Meeker, who also serves as Chair of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, said RPD's enhanced patrols downtown are working, and he wants the city to continue them in the near term.

"So we're starting to feel a little bit better about things, if we can keep this level of police long term, or at least for several months, that'll tell the bad actors, 'hey, this is not a place you can do business'," Meeker said.

Rusty Sutton, who recently relocated his bar to Wilmington Street downtown, said the same thing.

ALSO SEE: UNC police searching for suspect in connection with sexual assault on campus

"This is the heart of Raleigh, and we want to have a vibrant heart -- and a heart that people want to come. You don't want people to say, 'I'm afraid'," said Sutton, who owns The Green Monkey.

Sutton said one of the reasons they chose to relocate was the vibrancy of the downtown area's independently-owned businesses. That's the type of buy-in he wants city officials to take note of when allocating resources.

"It's all local, mom and pop, restaurants, shops. And let's keep it that way. Take our downtown back," Sutton said.

Meeker shared a similar sentiment.

"It's critical, and downtown is critical for Raleigh. It's a billboard for the city, it's where young people move to, it's where tourists stay and hang out," Meeker said.

The victim was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

No suspect has been arrested in connection with Sunday's incident.

Tracking crime and safety across Raleigh, Durham and your neighborhood