Suspects in string of bear spray attacks considered armed and dangerous: police
Winnipeg police are searching for unknown suspects considered armed and dangerous following a string of random bear spray attacks that happened in broad daylight.
Between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Winnipeg police say multiple people were attacked in four incidents investigators believe are all related.
The first attack happened around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, when two suspects were seen chasing two victims with unknown weapons. Police said the victims in this incident haven't come forward yet.
Hours later at around 9:50 a.m., police were called to Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street where a 30-year-old man was assaulted by two men. Police said when officers arrived they found the man who had been hit with bear spray. He was treated on scene by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
About 10 minutes later, at around 10 a.m., police got another report of an attack by two men. Officers and the tactical support team responded to Langside Street near Portage Avenue where they found a 24-year-old woman with an upper-body injury. She too had also been hit with bear spray. She was taken to the hospital and treated for her injury.
A fourth attack by two men was reported around 12:45 p.m. at Colony Square at St. Mary Avenue. Responding officers found a 33-year-old man who had been hit with bear spray, but did not need medical help.
Police said multiple units were sent out to find the suspects, but they have not yet been found.
Const. Claude Chancy, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service, said investigators have determined that the victims and the suspects did not know each other.
"These incidents are definitely random in nature," he said. "I think it's concerning for any citizen that we have in Winnipeg. These are acts that have happened in broad daylight."
The major crimes unit is now investigating the attacks. Police said they are believed to be related due to the similarities in the suspect descriptions, as well as how closely the attacks happened.
The suspects are described as adult men who are about 20 years old with skinny builds, standing between five-foot-six and five-foot-eight. Both men were described as wearing black hooded bomber jackets and black or blue jeans.
Police said the suspects are considered armed and dangerous, and warn the public not to approach them if they are seen. Residents are asked to call 911 in an emergency.
Anyone with information about the attacks that may help investigators is asked to call 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'