On December 13, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the Winnipeg Police Service responded to the 1400 block of Notre Dame Avenue to check the wellbeing of a taxi driver involved in a dispute.
Dispatched West District General Patrol officers attended and learned that an adult male suspect had entered the involved taxi in the 1400 block of Notre Dame Avenue. During the fare, without provocation, the suspect verbally berated the 35-year-old victim and proceeded to arm himself with the vehicle’s jack which he obtained from the trunk area.
As the taxi stopped near the intersection of St. James Street and Wellington Avenue, the victim summoned another taxi operator and police to attend. The suspect exited the vehicle, smashed the driver side window using the jack, and forcibly removed the victim. The suspect attempted to further assault the victim with the jack; however, did not make contact. The victim suffered a minor cut to his hand from the broken glass and did not require medical attention. The suspect chased the victim to the awaiting taxi and struck the vehicle using the jack causing damage to the trunk.
The suspect entered and fled in the victim’s now unoccupied taxi, where he lost control and collided with a snow bank in the 1400 block of St. James Street, rendering the vehicle inoperable. The suspect attempted to flee on foot but was arrested nearby by attending officers.
A 34-year-old male from Winnipeg is facing the following charges:
- Robbery
- Theft of Motor Vehicle
- Mischief Over $5,000
- Mischief Under $5,000
He was released on an Undertaking as mandated by the Criminal Code.