Indian Posse leader killed in prison

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This article was published 05/01/2010 (6038 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg street gang leader recently convicted of a multiple murder was killed Monday afternoon during a violent attack inside Saskatchewan Penitentiary, the Free Press has learned.

Daniel Richard Wolfe, 33, was fatally injured after a brawl erupted involving at least 10 other inmates. RCMP and prison officials have not officially released the victim’s name – citing the wishes of his family – but Free Press justice sources have identified him as Wolfe.

Two other inmates suffered serious injuries in the attack, which occurred in a common area of the maximum-security range on which they were being held. Officials say all 16 inmates on the range were out of their cells at the time for lunch.

RCMP said they expect to lay formal charges by Wednesday.

Wolfe was one of the founding members of the Indian Posse street gang in Winnipeg. The group is one of the city’s biggest and most violent, comprised entirely of aboriginal members. The Indian Posse has expanded in recent years to Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Wolfe was serving a life sentence after being convicted in November 2009 of two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Wolfe was in a Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan bar on the night of Sept. 20, 2007 when he got into an argument with a member of the Native Syndicate gang, which also originated in Winnipeg.

The men parted ways but Wolfe wasn’t finished. He grabbed a gun and stormed inside a Fort Qu’Appelle home later that night, opening fire.

Michael Itittakoose, 24, was shot six times and died, while Marvin Arnault, 51, was killed while trying to protect his wife from being hit. Three other men – including the one who had traded words with Wolfe at the bar – were shot multiples times but survived. Police said there were a total of 11 people in the house at the time, including many who had no gang ties.

Wolfe made headlines again when he escaped from the Regina Correctional Centre in August 2008, along with five other inmates. He was nabbed in Winnipeg three weeks later and returned to custody in Saskatchewan.

A youth co-accused was also charged in the deadly shooting spree and remains before the courts pending trial.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca