Winnipeg Comedy Festival weekend lineup

A police officer shot and injured an 18-year-old woman early Monday morning while investigating a College Avenue shooting.

A north district unit officer was in the area of Aikins Street and College Avenue at 2:27 a.m. Aug. 3 when he heard multiple gunshots nearby, the Winnipeg Police Service stated in a news release Monday.

The officer went to investigate and "was confronted by a woman and a 16-year-old youth." The officer discharged his gun and the young woman was injured, the police service stated. The woman was taken to hospital in unstable condition and was later upgraded to stable.

Police recovered a gun from the suspects and investigators later linked the 18-year-old woman and 16-year-old male to a shooting that occurred outside of a home in the 300 block of College Avenue. The 16-year-old was arrested.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I refused to go stay at my girlfriend’s cabin in July, because her alcoholic ex-husband still owns the lot beside her. He’s building a big fancy cabin this summer and she’s more than OK with that, even though they’re divorced.

I seriously criticized him — calling him a drunk and a loser — and she actually dumped me before she went off to the lake for all of July!

When she finally came back home I went to see her. She told me I “just wasn’t enough of a lake person” for her.

Then the fight began! I said, “So are you back with him permanently?” and she said, “What do you think? You let me go!”

Charge highlights need for action

The recent reporting regarding a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service employee accused of violating a protection order, following previous convictions related to criminal harassment and breaches of court orders against former partners, raises concerns that extend beyond a single individual.

I believe this case highlights important questions about how public institutions assess and respond to risks associated with intimate partner violence, stalking, coercive control and repeated violations of court-imposed conditions.

Gender-based violence is a public safety issue. Survivors are encouraged to seek protection orders and to call emergency services for safety and support. When those orders are breached, organizations have a responsibility to carefully consider workplace safety, public safety and survivor safety in their decision-making. Manitobans deserve confidence that public institutions have clear, consistent processes to assess risk and respond appropriately.