POLICE say allegations of an assault and a weapons tip were the cause of a prolonged, heavily armed standoff outside a home in Winnipeg’s Minto area Thursday evening.
Police remained perched outside a two-storey home at 732 Valour Rd. for about five hours Thursday. While initially it appeared they were responding to a report that a man had been shot at around 5:15 p.m., it soon became clear that this wasn’t the case, according to Staff Sgt. Kendra Reay.
The Winnipeg police tactical support unit were at a standoff outside a home on Valour Road.
Instead, a man — his age wasn’t given — had allegedly been assaulted either inside or near the home, and was taken to hospital where he’s currently in stable condition.
Police entered the home at about 10:55 p.m., and the scene was cleared quickly after they found nobody inside. There were no injuries as a result of the operation.
Patrol. Sgt. Werner Toews told reporters at the scene that the presence of the tactical support unit was because of a weapons tip given to police.
Throughout the evening, police carrying assault rifles and wearing full body armour could be seen darting through a backyard on the east side of Minto, directly across from the scene’s focal point.
At about 10 p.m., the scene took on an element of heightened drama as an officer repeatedly asked for whomever was in the home to “come out with your hands up” over a megaphone.
The sonic orders were issued shortly after officers moved onlookers about a block away from the house, and told people to remain in their homes.
Area resident Barbara Chomik said at about 5:15 p.m., she saw a man lying prone on the boulevard near Valour Road and Felix Avenue, his face covered in blood.
Chomik said she saw the man be taken away by ambulance, indicating that more than one person was hurt in the incident. Shortly after, Chomik said she saw another man taken from the Valour Road home and placed in the back of a cruiser car.
Toews said the investigation is continuing, and declined further comment.
james.turner@freepress.mb.ca
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