Traffic stop led to high-speed chase, fatal shooting of teen, officers testify

Speaking to court for the first time Tuesday, two Winnipeg police officers described how an attempted traffic stop swiftly escalated into a high-speed pursuit that ended in the shooting death of an Indigenous teen.

The officers, who testified on the second day of an inquest into the 2020 death of Eishia Hudson, said she rammed their police cruiser, evaded police spike strips and reached speeds of about 100 kilometres per hour as they pursued her through the Sage Creek neighbourhood and onto Lagimodiere Boulevard.

Winnipeg Police Service Det. Sgt. Jeff Vincent said the decision to engage in the chase was guided by police policies and procedures, but acknowledged the pursuit came during a period of heightened public pressure, owing to a spate of brazen thefts from city liquor stores.

“Every time we enter into a pursuit, we’re always assessing the need to apprehend versus the risk to the public,” Vincent said.

“At that time, the liquor store robberies were becoming a big problem here in Winnipeg… and there was an outcry from the people to do something.”

According to an agreed statement of facts, Hudson was behind the wheel of a stolen Jeep spotted leaving the scene of a liquor store robbery in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood on April 8, 2020.

“At that time, the liquor store robberies were becoming a big problem here in Winnipeg… and there was an outcry from the people to do something.”

The teenager from Berens River First Nation ended up in the driver’s seat after one of her friends stole the vehicle’s keys from a staff member at a group home and showed up at her house, the statement of facts said.

That night, around 5:20 p.m., Hudson arrived at the liquor store parking lot with a group of four teens who planned to shoplift alcohol. She waited behind the wheel as others entered the store and filled their bags with liquor — one of them threatening staff in the process.

Vincent told court he was in the neighbourhood on an unrelated call when reports of the robbery came through on the radio.

He and his partner, Sgt. Dustin Dreger — who were both constables at the time — set out in search of the stolen Jeep and spotted it soon after. Dreger was behind the wheel as they tailed the vehicle without lights and sirens.

The officers attempted to call for air support to track the vehicle from above, but learned the police helicopter was not in service that night, Dreger told court.

The officers continued to follow the Jeep, which was obeying all rules of the road. When it pulled into a cul-de-sac on Dragonfly Court they initiated a traffic stop, Dreger said.

“At that point, there was no more pretending we were just driving down the road,” he said.

“We felt that we could safely try to apprehend.”

The officer said the risk factors associated with a possible pursuit were low at the time because traffic was light, the weather was good and driver was not being reckless before the stop.

Instead of pulling over, the Jeep fled, striking the front of the police cruiser and sparking a pursuit that lasted about 16 minutes. The vehicle drove through the parking lot of a shopping complex and later crashed at the intersection of Lagimodiere and Fermor Avenue, the agreed statement of facts said.

Officers surrounded the vehicle and Dreger jumped out of his car with a baton in hand, intending to smash out the passenger window and arrest those inside. At the time, he believed the vehicle to be inoperable due to the accident, he said.

As he approached the vehicle, it began to move and another officer fired the fatal shots. Dreger could not say whether it was rolling forward or accelerating, but noted there was a definite “forward motion.”

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The inquest is meant to determine whether systemic racism played a role in Hudson’s death, and whether the use of force against her was justified. It doesn’t assign blame, but Judge Margaret Wiebe is expected to prepare a final report that could include recommendations on how to prevent similar deaths in the future.

Inquest counsel Dayna Steinfeld asked Dreger and Vincent whether they would like to make any recommendations of their own. Both officers said the WPS should ensure the police helicopter is always available to provide support and pursue vehicles from a safe distance.

Vincent said it would be helpful to have additional police training on use-of-force scenarios involving moving vehicles.

The inquiry is slated to continue until March, with further police testimony scheduled Wednesday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.