Bar owner and bartender injured in fight down south

Two men from the Stann Creek District are recovering after an argument escalated into a knife being pulled and shots being fired last night in Placencia Village. According to police, the owner of Rick’s Cafe, 54-year-old Richard Labonte, was waiting for his employees to close the establishment when he was approached by 30-year-old Rudolph Rudon, who exited the next-door establishment. The men began to argue, but Labonte realized Rudon had a knife in his hand, and he began to walk away. Rudon then followed Labonte and stabbed him once in the right hand, causing the American to drop his computer bag, which contained his licensed nine-millimeter pistol. Labonte then picked up the gun and opened fire on Rudon, injuring him in both feet. Labonte has since been treated and released from the Placencia Health Center while Rudon remains in stable condition at the Southern Regional Hospital. Police recovered both weapons used in the incident; their investigations continue.