Police shoot suspect during chase

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This article was published 10/01/2019 (2773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Independent Investigation Unit is probing an officer-involved shooting that left a 23-year-old suspect suffering from a gunshot wound in the aftermath of a dramatic high-speed chase through the city Wednesday night.

Members of the Winnipeg Police Service were patrolling near McLeod Avenue and Raleigh Street when they were flagged down by an assault victim at 8:35 p.m.

The victim told officers they’d been assaulted with an edged weapon and police began to pursue three suspects who were fleeing in a vehicle.

“The initial pursuit was aborted due to our concerns for public safety. The suspects were fleeing at a high rate of speed, driving recklessly. Our protocol is to abort pursuits if there’s a risk to the public,” WPS spokesman Const. Rob Carver said.

Additional police officers flooded the area and located the suspects’ vehicle, which was stopped at the intersection of Panet Road and Nairn Avenue. Officers set up a containment block with their vehicles at the intersection in an effort to hem in the suspects.

“It’s an effective manoeuvre in a high percentage of cases. It wasn’t in this case,” Carver said.

The suspects’ vehicle rammed its way through the police containment block. That’s when multiple officers fired their weapons at the vehicle.

It remains unclear how many officers fired their guns or how many rounds were discharged.

“There would have been traffic, vehicular and pedestrian… High rates of speed and lots of energy are being used in that vehicle to get away. If it rams or blasts through (our vehicles) and hits another vehicle or pedestrian, they would be at risk. Our officers are at risk,” Carver said.

“At that point, officers used firearms to stop that type of threat.”

Once the vehicle fled the containment block, a second pursuit got underway, with police tracking the suspects to Marion Street and Archibald Street. The suspects’ vehicle left the road and began driving on the railway tracks.

Three suspects, two men and a woman, were taken into custodya short time later.

It was discovered one of them, a 23-year-old man, was suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was taken to hospital, treated and discharged.

He remained in police custody Thursday.

During the arrest, a police officer was struck by a moving train.

“They are not life-altering injuries… I think any time we say someone was hit by a train, we envision the worst. My understanding is this officer will make a full recovery,” Carver said.

The injured officer was treated in hospital for minor injuries and released.

The Independent Investigation Unit is called in whenever an officer is involved in a shooting. The watchdog confirmed it has taken over the case.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @rk_thorpe