Stolen sedan rams police cars, nearly hits officer: WPS

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Three female suspects face charges after a taking Winnipeg police on a wild car chase through the southwest part of the city Friday evening.

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said a police unit patrolling near the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street around 8:25 p.m. spotted a sedan driving with no rear license plate, and its front plate hanging loose.

The car matched the description of one stolen on March 16 from the 100 block of Marion Street, and had been spotted two hours earlier in the Logan–C.P.R. area. When police tried to pull it over, the sedan began driving recklessly and fled.

A bystander told police they saw the stolen car driving the wrong way down one-way Stradbrook Avenue. Officers picked up the chase again as the sedan drove westbound on Wellington Crescent.

Police say the vehicle’s three occupants tried to bail from the car near Academy Road, but were contained by responding units. The driver of the stolen sedan then rammed a police car and drove off, nearly striking an officer.

A few minutes later, around 8:41 p.m., the stolen sedan was reacquired on Grant Avenue near the West District police station. The AIR1 police helicopter was called in and tracked the car as it sped through the Assiniboine Park, Tuxedo and South Tuxedo areas.

AIR1 helped police deploy several tire deflation devices known as "stop sticks." The driver refused to stop, and the stolen car's tires eventually began to disintegrate. 

The sedan pulled into a parking lot in the Tuxedo Industrial area and rammed two police cars as they tried to stop it.

WPS officers were finally able to stop the car around 8:54 p.m. near the corner of Sterling Lyon Parkway and Kenaston Boulevard. The three occupants were arrested without further incident.

The 36-year-old female driver of the vehicle faces charges of assaulting a police officer, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and theft, among others.

The other two occupants - a 17-year-old female and another 36-year-old woman –also face several charges.

All charges must be proven in court. The investigation continues.