On April 18, 2024, at approximately 2:35 pm, Winnipegosis RCMP responded to a distress call reporting that a man had threatened occupants of a residence with a firearm before fleeing with an infant. Whether the man had access to a firearm remained uncertain, but he was familiar to the residents.
Shortly after receiving the report, RCMP located the vehicle the man had been using. They observed him abandoning the vehicle and escaping into the wilderness on foot with the infant, who was ill-prepared for the freezing temperatures.
RCMP promptly called in their Police Dog Services, deploying Police Service Dog Marook to track the fleeing man. After navigating through roughly two kilometers of dense forest, Marook and his handler successfully located the man and the infant. The man was apprehended, and the infant, thankfully unharmed, was transferred to Emergency Medical Services upon exiting the wilderness. Medical evaluation confirmed the infant had not sustained any physical injuries.
Further investigation revealed that the man did not have a firearm.
The 26-year-old man has been charged with several offenses, including Flight From a Peace Officer, Criminal Negligence Causing Bodily Harm, and Uttering Threats Against a Person (x2). He remains in custody pending legal proceedings.
