VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Officers found four people who had been stabbed just before 1 a.m. at Kelly's Tavern Wednesday, the Virginia Beach Police Department said.
Three of the four people were taken from the bar to the hospital. Their conditions and names haven't yet been released.
The suspect was still at the restaurant when officers arrived, and he was taken into custody with no issues.
Paul Augustine Power, 31, was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated malicious wounding.
13News Now spoke with the General Manager of Kelly's Tavern, Melody Christy, who was at the restaurant all through the night helping her staff following the incident.
She said a fight broke out between Power and other customers on the outdoor patio after midnight. She said security recognized the man who started the fight as Paul Power, who Christy says is a well-known customer, and asked him to leave.
"We didn't have to use physical force to get him out," Christy said. "Unfortunately, he came back about 15 minutes later with a knife, and that's when he attacked. He came in running, so we didn't really get a chance to stop him."
Christy said she and her staff personally knew two of the people who got hurt.
"They're really good people that this shouldn't have happened to," Christy said. "It's just hard when you know someone personally, but they're doing okay and that's all you can ask for."
Christy said Kelly's Tavern already provides security seven days a week and even more security on the weekends, but they're taking extra precautions moving forward. She said her team is working with Virginia Beach Police to learn new tactics of how to de-escalate a situation like this.
"We're definitely being more aware," she said.
Christy said two of the people who got hurt were just bystanders when the fight broke out -- and the two victims she knows are currently recovering, and doing okay.
Power is scheduled to appear before a Virginia Beach judge on these charges Thursday afternoon.