Four teens have been arrested and charged with stealing a pickup truck, ramming a police cruiser with it, and attacking a police officer with a screwdriver.
Monday night at 8:30 p.m. officers with the Winnipeg Police Service Stolen Auto Unit saw a stolen truck in the area around Church Avenue and Hutchings Street.
Police followed the truck to a parking lot in the 100 block of Hutchings.
Police say when the driver noticed police he stepped on the gas and took off across the parking lot at a high rate of speed.
Police say the stolen truck intentionally collided with a police cruiser.
The driver and two passengers then got out of the vehicle and ran away. Police arrested them after a foot chase with help from the Canine Unit.
One passenger got out of the vehicle with a screwdriver and a scuffle with police. Police disarmed him and arrested him. There are no reports of injuries.
This is the latest in a series of worrisome incidents in which young car thieves have use stolen automobiles as weapons against police.
Last month, three teen-agers were arrested after a police officer was run down by a stolen vehicle near College Avenue and Sinclair Street.
The officer was treated in hospital for his injuries. The stolen vehicle also rammed a police cruiser in an attempt to escape.
Earlier this year, an officer opened fire on a stolen car in the middle of a parking lot at the Polo Park shopping centre in an attempt to stop a stolen vehicle driving straight at him.
"There should be situations where the judiciary is in a position to detain some of these younger people that are intent on committing violent offences," Chief Keith McCaskill told CTV's Kelly Dehn.
McCaskill says auto theft should be reclassified as a violent crime as opposed to a property crime.
Winnipeg's mayor says politicians in Ottawa have to listen.
"Enough is enough," said Sam Katz. "I think it's time for every citizen to call their member of parliament, and we need changes to the criminal code. We need changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act."
The 16-year-old male passenger of the stolen vehicle has been charged with:
- Possession Property Obtained by Crime
- Assault a Peace Officer
- Assault with a Weapon
- Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose
- Two counts of Failure to comply with sentence or disposition
- Possession Break in Instruments
The 17-year-old male driver has been charged with:
- Possession Property Obtained by Crime
- Dangerous Operation - Motor Vehicle
- Drive While Disqualified
- Two counts of Fail to Comply with Condition Undertaking
- Three counts of Failure to comply with sentence or disposition
The 13-year-old male passenger has been charged with:
- Possession Property Obtained by Crime
- Two counts of Failure to comply with sentence or disposition
The 14-year-old female passenger has been charged with:
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
- Failure to comply with sentence or disposition
All four teens are in custody.
With a report from CTV's Kelly Dehn.
