Three police officers shot and injured in Winnipeg standoff – Brandon Sun

WINNIPEG – A day after three city police officers were shot and wounded in a gunfight at a North End apartment complex, several police units stood guard at the scene.

Wounded members of the Winnipeg Police Service suffered non-life-threatening injuries while responding to a 285 College Ave.

“I'm sure there are a lot of members, especially the members who were injured and the officers who were close to this incident, who are very grateful to go home at the end of the night,” said WPS Const. Jason Mihalyshen said by phone Sunday.

Officers said there were several people in the building armed with weapons in a suite. Heavily armed tactical officers managed to get several men and a woman out of the room, but others who were armed refused to leave.

For several hours, crisis negotiators and tactical officers, along with other police, remained at the block of flats as the standoff continued.

During the incident, the suspect fired a handgun at police and shot three officers, police said.

“It's definitely a scary scenario, but we knew the potential was there. That's why we sent resources to the scene. We knew the potential for volatility and violence, and there's no doubt we were exposed to that,” Mihalyshen said.

The WPS arrested two men in their 40s, but did not release their names or what charges they would face.

Mikhalyshen said that the police intend to provide additional information at the end of the week.

Major crimes and homicide detectives are assisting with the investigation, which is standard practice when officers discharge a firearm, he said.

Several police units remained at the scene Sunday morning.

A police cruiser was parked near the rear driveway of the property, where several first-floor windows appeared to be shattered by non-lethal projectiles fired during the confrontation. A second cruiser was parked near the front entrance of the apartment.

A WPS forensics van was later seen parked outside as well.

At least two officers guarding the hallway on the west side of the three-story building were deployed inside.

Dirt and debris covered the apartment's main entrance, stairs and the hallway where the officers were stationed.

A blood spatter, marked with a yellow evidence sticker, was next to the door.

A nearby neighbor said the building, known as Stratford Hall, is a frequent source of police and emergency response.

The latest police figures show there were 108 reports of violent crime between October 2022 and October 2023 in the area surrounding the block of flats.

WPS has responded to several armed and barricaded incidents in recent months.

On Jan. 29, police were called to a home in Transcona at 6:35 p.m. after reports of a man inside armed with a gun.

The three-hour standoff prompted police to send in crisis negotiators and a tactical unit. The woman, who was the only person in the house, was safely removed about 35 minutes after the incident began.

Later, law enforcement officers detained a man, who was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police have not released any charges against the suspect.

On December 29, police shot and killed a 52-year-old man who was holding several people hostage inside an apartment complex at 25 Furby, Manitoba. St.

Police were called to the building around 1:45 p.m. after receiving reports that a 19-year-old woman was being held hostage by a man armed with a knife in a third-floor hallway.

The suspect surrounded himself and the woman in the suite, holding another 33-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and a three-year-old girl hostage.

The 33-year-old woman and the child were later released by the hostage-taker or managed to escape by themselves through the door of the corridor. The 23-year-old escaped through the suite's balcony a few minutes later.

Tactical Support Team officers arrived at approximately 5:10 p.m. and shot the suspect multiple times. No damage was done to the remaining collateral.

» Winnipeg Free Press