Charges laid after Winnipeg police say man with drugs called officer over to vehicle

Three people are facing drug and weapons charges after police say a man with a bag of crack cocaine on his lap called an officer over to his vehicle.

In a release issued Friday, police say an officer was searching a back lane in the 300 block of Broadway with a flashlight on an unrelated matter around 11:25 p.m., Thursday when a man sitting in the driver’s seat of a nearby vehicle called him over.

Police say the officer noticed the bag of what appeared to be crack on the man’s lap when he came up to the driver’s side window. Police haven’t said why the man called the officer over to his vehicle.

The driver and a female passenger were both arrested, while a third occupant of the vehicle tried to run away from the vehicle, police say.

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Police say the third suspect was found to be in possession of a loaded .45 calibre handgun when officers caught up with him a short distance away.

During a further search of the vehicle, police say they found a loaded 9mm handgun, a high-capacity magazine, roughly 19 grams of crack, 32 grams of cocaine, and a small amount of cash.

A 20-year-old man, a 28-year-old woman, and a 22-year-old man, all from Winnipeg, are each facing a long list of charges.

Police are not naming the accused because they have not been formally charged, although all three remain in police custody.