Winnipeg police had their hands full Monday with a pair of unrelated stolen vehicle incidents — with the drivers in both cases ramming into police cruisers in an attempt to escape.
The first incident, around 2:30 p.m., began near Powers Street and Stella Avenue, when officers spotted a stolen car and followed it until it began to speed erratically, police said.
Other units tried to contain the stolen car near Salter Street and Magnus Avenue, where it rammed two cruisers before stopping, at which point two women were arrested.
The car, police said, had been stolen in late October from the West Alexander area.
The driver, Pamela Dawn Gladue, 35, faces a number of charges, including possessing property obtained by crime, dangerous operation of a conveyance, operation of a conveyance while prohibited, mischief, and four counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon.
Gladue was also processed on outstanding warrants for possessing property obtained by crime, failing to comply with conditions, and an allegation of non-compliance with a conditional sentence.
The vehicle’s passenger wasn’t charged in the incident.
The second incident took place later that evening, just after 8:30 p.m., when police were notified about a stolen truck near Balmoral Street and Cumberland Avenue.
When police tried to stop the truck near Main Street and Selkirk Avenue, it rammed a cruiser car, almost hitting an officer, then jumped the median into oncoming traffic and drove off at high speed.
The truck later crashed into three other vehicles and was abandoned once it was too damaged, with both occupants running away on foot.
A suspect was tracked down by the K9 unit in the 500 block of Pritchard Avenue, where he was found hiding in a dumpster and arrested.
Police said the truck had been stolen earlier that day from the Rosser area.
Carlos Clos Young, 22, faces charges of dangerous operation of a conveyance, flight while pursued by a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, possessing property obtained by crime, driving without a licence or with an invalid licence, and a number of other Highway Traffic Act offences.
He was taken into custody.