Winnipeg Police Release
On May 26, 2020, at 2:31 p.m., West District General Patrol members responded to the 900 block of Empress Street for a report of a male armed with a baseball bat acting erratically in the area. The male had then entered a business in the 1300 block of Ellice Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers located the male inside the business and saw he was still armed with the baseball bat but had now doused himself with lighter fluid. The male was agitated, and officers spent approximately 25 minutes attempting to convince the male to put down the weapon but were not successful.
During the incident, the male consumed a substance he stated was methamphetamine and asked officers to shoot him. He also produced a lighter and motioned as if he was going to ignite it.
Soon after, members of the Tactical Support Team arrived and used a less-than-lethal projectile to take the male into custody safely. The male was uninjured but was transported to hospital for reasons related to drug intoxication. Methamphetamine use is believed to have played a role in the incident.
On May 27, 2020, the male was placed under arrest and taken into custody.
A 31-year-old male of Thunder Bay, Ontario,has been charged with:
- Possession of a Weapon
- Mischief Under $5,000/Obstruct in Enjoyment
He was detained in custody.