WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Police Service is releasing details about several weapon and drug seizures that happened back in November.
Const. Rob Carver said the first incident happened on Nov. 2, when the Guns and Gangs Unit went to the Windsor Hotel along Garry Street for a routine call.
When officers arrived they ran into a man who was in breach of a court order. He was then placed under arrest.
Police said the man was carrying a bag and inside officers found 137 grams of cocaine valued at $9,000, along with 20 grams of crack cocaine valued at $1,500, and 221 OxyNeo 40mg pills valued at $8,840. Police said they also found a small amount of an unknown powder and a small amount of an unknown liquid.
Also inside the bag, police seized a loaded 9mm handgun and ammunition for that gun, a sawed off .22 calibre rifle and ammunition for that weapon, shotgun shells, five cell phones, and roughly $7,600 in cash.
It was also learned later that the OxyNeo pills had been stolen on Oct.25.
Sean Bennett, 46, who is from Winnipeg, has been charged with:
• Carrying Concealed Weapon Prohibited Device or Ammunition
• Nine counts of Fail to Comply Condition Recognizance
• Possess Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
• Possess Firearm Knowing Serial Number Has Been Tampered With
• Possess Loaded Prohibited or Restricted Firearm
• Two counts of Possess Scheduled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking - COCAINE
• Possess Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000
• Two counts of Possess Firearm, Restricted/Prohibited Weapon or Ammunition Contrary to Prohibition Order
• Theft Under $5,000
Bennett is currently in custody.
Two days later on Nov. 4, the Guns and Gangs Unit once again went to the Windsor Hotel as part of an ongoing investigation.
While on scene police found a bag of what appeared to be methamphetamine on a table. Upon further searching police found and seized a loaded pellet gun, an improvised firearm, a .22 calibre rifle, around $700 in cash, packaging material, loose ammunition, score sheets, and 6.5 ounces of meth.
David Allan White, 55, also from Winnipeg, has been charged with:
• Two counts of Possess Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
• Possess Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
• Two counts of Possess Firearm, Restricted/Prohibited Weapon or Ammunition Contrary to Prohibition Order
• Possess Scheduled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine
• Possess Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000
Police said White remains in custody.
POLICE FEAR SOMEONE IN CITY IS MANUFACTURING FIREARMS
Insp. Max Waddell said there is a concern that someone in the city is manufacturing the improvised firearms as police have been finding more of the exact same kind of weapon that was seized. So far police have seized 69 of these improvised firearms.
Two days later there was another incident at the Windsor Hotel. On Nov. 6, police were called to the building for reports of shots being fired in the hotel.
Police said there was a dispute in the lounge area and at one point a 35-year-old woman was hit with the butt-end of a shotgun by a man. The man then pointed the gun at the woman, who hit it away with her arm, which resulted in the shotgun going off into a suite door.
The man fled the hotel before officers arrived on scene, but he left behind a large bag that contained a loaded Cooey sawed-off shotgun, a Mossberg 410 gauge sawed-off shotgun, a loaded savage model 64, .22 calibre rifle, and several rounds of ammunition for the .22 and 12 gauge shotgun shells.
On Dec. 11, police found the suspect in the 300 block of Aberdeen Avenue and he was taken into custody.
Randall Preston Bourassa, 31, of Winnipeg has been charged with:
• Assault with a Weapon
• Discharge a Restricted Firearm or a Prohibited Firearm with Intent
• Carrying Concealed Weapon Prohibited Device or Ammunition
• Three counts of Possess Weapon
• Three counts of Possess Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
• Two counts of Possess Loaded Prohibited or Restricted Firearm
• Five counts of Possess Firearm, Restricted/Prohibited Weapon or Ammunition Contrary to Prohibition Order.
He too, remains in custody.
Police said all three me have a criminal history.
Insp. Max Waddell said these types of crimes are not uncommon to the hotel and police need to stay on top of these kinds of places.
He added, police are talking with organizations within the government to look at options to control the problems happening at the hotel.
Waddell feels these incidents are disappointing considering how close the hotel is to Police Headquarters.
“It just shows the attitude, not only towards law enforcement, but to society in general, that as a drug dealer, they have one sole function and that is to sell elicit drugs and make profits,” said Waddell.
