A Winnipeg man has been charged with assault and uttering threats after an off-duty police officer was attacked Wednesday morning near the Millennium Library downtown.
Police said the incident took place around 11:45 a.m., on April 7 when the officer — who was headed to the nearby police headquarters to start his shift — saw a scuffle between a man and a woman in Millennium Library Park.
The man allegedly made racial slurs toward the officer, who is Black, then attacked him without warning.
The officer’s on-duty colleagues noticed the incident through the windows at the police station and came down to help.
In the course of the arrest, police said, the man made more racial slurs and threatened to kill officers.
The 37-year-old is in custody.
“There’s no indication at this point what exactly prompted all of this,” Const. Rob Carver told 680 CJOB.
“We do know from other people who were in the area that he was acting erratically prior to this whole incident unfolding.
“Based on my experience and other officers’ experience, there’s certainly potential that methamphetamine use might have been involved here.”
Carver said it’s not the first time a police service member has been assaulted near the police headquarters.
“Unfortunately, it’s happening with a fair amount of regularity now. I know that officers get warnings and bulletins almost on a weekly basis about particular individuals we know who have been around headquarters who have acted aggressively or have made comments,” Carver said.
“All officers now enter and leave the building with their head on a swivel.”
Carver said he’s concerned about the safety of the building’s civilian staff as well as police officers, as he said the people posing threats to police don’t differentiate between an officer and a civilian just trying to do their job.