Long weekend madness for Winnipeg police, as officers face multiple assaults, threats

Winnipeg police had a dangerous May long weekend, with a ‘significant number of incidents’ involving officers being assaulted or threatened.

Police said there were seven separate incidents between Friday and Monday evening where officers were assaulted, as well as one threat over that period.

• On Friday, a 24-year-old man assaulted two cadets while being lodged at the Main Street Project. The man was charged with assaulting peace officers and detained at the Remand Centre.
• Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, an off-duty officer witnessed two men assaulting another man near police headquarters on Smith Street. He intervened, identifying himself as police, but was threatened by one suspect armed with a bottle and another with a machete. Both suspects were arrested nearby, charged with assaulting a peace officer, and detained.
• At 5 a.m. Saturday, police arrived at a Point Douglas-area domestic situation where a man was armed with a hammer and knives. While being taken into custody, the man tried to choke one of the officers. He was charged with assaulting a peace officer and detained.

• Around 6 a.m. Saturday, an officer was assaulted in the process of arresting an intoxicated woman who was fighting with family and smashing up the house. She was charged with two counts of assaulting a peace officer and released on a promise to appear.
• On Sunday morning, a man was arrested on several outstanding warrants near Salter Street and Burrows Avenue. He fought with police, trying to grab an officer’s taser. He was taken to hospital due to apparent intoxication, charged with two counts of assaulting a peace officer, and detained.
• At 8 a.m. Monday, a suspect in a series of break-ins was arrested on St. Mary’s Road. As the suspect was being arrested, he tried to punch an officer, then tried to headbutt and kick police while being taken into the cruiser car. He was also found with a knife. The man, 23, faces 12 charges and remains in custody.
• On Monday at 5:45 p.m., cadets were checking on a man’s well-being near Higgins Avenue and Austin Street, when the man spat on the cadets. He was arrested for assaulting a peace officer and taken into custody.
• At 5 p.m. Monday, a man police said was intoxicated by hand sanitizer was arrested near Vaughn Street and Graham Avenue and threatened to kill both officers while being arrested. He was charged with uttering threats and detained.

Police said no one – officers or the accused – in these incidents needed significant medical treatment.

WATCH: Winnipeg police blame peace officer assaults on meth