‘I love you, my baby’: woman killed by police cruiser identified

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This article was published 04/09/2024 (412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tammy Bateman was homeless and was receiving supports at the time of her death on Monday in Fort Rouge Park, her friend and father figure told the Free Press.

Bateman died after being hit by a police cruiser Monday night.

Her loved ones are planning a vigil at the River Avenue riverside park in the coming days.

Andrew Desjarlais said he last saw Bateman five days before the incident at the nearby New Directions office, where they both access services.

Bateman was using one of the public computers when she saw Desjarlais walk in.

“I grabbed her, I hugged her, and I gave her a kiss, and I said, ‘I love you, my baby,’ and she said, ‘I love you, too,’” Desjarlais told the Free Press on Tuesday evening.

Near the site of the collision, a square made up of strips of red fabric encased a blue-and-white ribbon skirt on the gravel path. Tobacco and flowers used in Indigenous ceremonies had been placed by the skirt.

Earlier in the day, a ceremony that incorporated traditional Indigenous medicine and drums was held to remember Bateman, while Main Street Project outreach workers remained in the area to offer emotional support to encampment residents.

A cousin of Bateman, who asked not to be identified, described her as a “spitfire.”

“One minute you hated her, and the next minute you loved her,” he said.

Desjarlais said Batemen was schizophrenic and had problems with addiction. She was trying to secure a home through Manitoba Housing and wanted to finish her high school education.

Desjarlais believes police have little respect for the homeless, which is what likely led to the collision.

“I’d like to see (police) put themselves in our shoes for one day. I guarantee that none of them would survive,” he said.