Armed suspect arrested at Headingley truck stop

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This article was published 02/06/2022 (1252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

RCMP used a Taser to arrest an Ontario man who allegedly wielded a large knife in a “dangerous manner” as he smashed objects inside a Headingley truck stop Wednesday.

Officers cleared customers and staff from the Flying J Travel Center, located on the Trans-Canada Highway just west of the Perimeter Highway, and attempted to speak to the 39-year-old man when they arrived at about 6:30 p.m.

About 10 people were inside the business when officers arrived, Manitoba RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel wrote Thursday in an email.

She said the man, from the northern Toronto suburb of Maple, was travelling alone through the Winnipeg area.

The suspect was in a “highly agitated state” and was armed with a large fixed-blade knife, according to police.

“It was believed by officers on scene that a substance of some kind could have been a factor, but we have no medical confirmation of that and can only speak to what we saw,” Seel wrote.

As officers attempted to speak to the suspect, he began to harm himself by running into fixed objects inside the business, an RCMP news release stated.

Police said a Taser was used, bringing the suspect to the ground, where was arrested for his own safety and that of the officers. A knife was seized.

RCMP said the man suffered minor injuries from “self-inflicted harm,” and was taken to hospital for treatment. He was later arrested for mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The man, who wasn’t identified by police, was released with a date to appear in court.

Stephanie Myers, a spokeswoman for Pilot Flying J, based in Knoxville, Tenn., said the company is offering support to staff affected by the incident.

“The safety and well-being of our team members and guests is always our main concern,” Myers wrote in a statement. “Nothing is more important to us than providing a safe and secure environment for our team members and guests.”

She said the company is “co-operating fully” with police.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching