Winnipeg police searching for suspect after child assaulted while walking service dog

The Winnipeg Police Service is asking for the public’s help after a girl was involved in an unprovoked attack while she was walking her service dog Sunday evening.

According to police, the incident occurred between 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Meadowlark Place near Athlone Drive. A girl, whom police say is around middle-school age, was walking south on Meadowlark Place with her service dog when she was approached by an unknown man who grabbed her by the arm and started to pull her toward the street.

Police said the girl told the man to stop, but he kept holding on to her and kicked the dog. The girl screamed and was able to free herself from the man by punching him. The suspect was last seen running south toward Grace Hospital.

Const. Claude Chancy with the Winnipeg Police Service said the girl was “extremely brave” to fight off her attacker.

“She did exactly what she was supposed to do,” he said. “She told the suspect to stop. She actually yelled and screamed which alerted her mother, who was in hearing distance.”

The mom brought her daughter home to safety, where they contacted police. The girl suffered minor injuries, which did not require medical attention.

Police are looking for a male with tan/olive skin, with discoloration under his eyes described as purple in colour. He is approximately six feet tall with an average build.

He was wearing black pants with white stripes down the sides, black shoes with white/grey soles, and a black jacket with grey and white on the sleeves. The suspect was also wearing a black balaclava with a black mask covering his mouth, which formed a triangle at the bottom below the chin.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the police service’s child investigations unit at 204-986-3296.