The Winnipeg Police Service was involved Thursday night, responding to a report of a woman armed with a gun at a local mall and a separate report of a man wielding a knife on a transit bus.
The first incident began around 7:45 p.m., when police were called to a mall in the 1500 block of Regent Avenue for a report of a shoplifter armed with a gun.
Mall security said when they confronted the woman who had stolen a pair of shoes, she said she had a gun and then left the mall. From a distance, security followed the suspect outside.
Police say the suspect turned and pointed a gun at the security guards and pulled the trigger, leading them to believe they were being shot at. The woman continued her escape, with no physical injuries.
Winnipeg police general patrol officers, a K9 unit and a tactical support team responded to the incident and found the woman outside a nearby convenience store. She was arrested and handed over to the Serious Crimes Unit.
Officers recovered a BB gun and recovered the stolen merchandise.
A 21-year-old woman has been charged with several crimes, including robbery and intentional discharge with an air weapon or pistol. She is detained.
The second, unrelated incident began shortly before 10 p.m. when police received a report of a man on a Winnipeg Transit bus who was allegedly causing trouble, smoking and carrying a knife. Due to the suspect’s behavior, the bus driver stopped the bus near Portage Avenue and Kennedy Street.
Police received a second call that said the man had taken two knives out of his backpack and hidden them on himself – one in his belt and the other near one of his socks.
When officers arrived on scene, they saw the man walking north on Kennedy from Portage. Police say the suspect was uncooperative and placed his hands near the sock/ankle area where he hid one of the knives. Police used a taser to safely arrest the man and seized a folding knife.
Officers also found a second hunting knife in his belt, as well as a can of bear spray in his backpack.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with three counts of possession of a weapon and six counts of failing to comply with a condition of release. He is in custody.
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