4 charged after armed-and-barricaded incident in Winnipeg’s North End
Posted February 12, 2024 2:47 pm.
Last Updated February 12, 2024 7:27 pm.
Winnipeg police say four people are facing charges following an armed-and-barricaded standoff in Winnipeg’s North End over the weekend.
WPS says around 6:15 a.m. on Friday, officers responded to a home along Boyd Avenue, after receiving a report of an armed robbery by three men.
It is believed during the robbery, a gun was fired by a suspect, hitting a man in his 40s. Additionally, a 25-year-old woman was believed to be forcibly removed by the suspects.
WPS says around 3 a.m. on Saturday, officers were called to an apartment building on College Avenue and Charles Street for a report of a woman being held against her will. WPS later confirmed that they learned it was the woman who went missing on Friday.
Officers say they were informed that several people with guns were believed to be inside a suite.
RELATED: Suspect fires on officers in armed-and-barricaded standoff in North End: police
Two suspects, a 46-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, exited the residence and were taken into custody by police.
The 25-year-old woman, who was believed to have been abducted also exited the apartment and police confirmed she was uninjured.
Police say two people remained in the residence and refused to exit, which created the armed-and-barricaded situation.
During the incident, the suspects reportedly fired guns at police officers. Three officers were injured and taken to a hospital in stable condition.
“One officer sustained a wound to his thigh, an embedded shot gun pellet within his thigh. One officer sustained a wound to his forearm, also from a shotgun pellet, and one officer sustained a wound to his chest and his inner thigh, also from a shotgun pellets. All were treated at hospital for non-life threatening injuries and all went home that night,” said Winnipeg police chief Danny Smyth.
Police say officers remained on the scene for several hours before two men were taken into custody.
“Nobody was seriously injured. We’ll support our members through their experiences of being fired upon. None of the suspects in this case were seriously injured and that’s a good outcome. Everybody went home that night.”
WPS recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 calibre rifle, and ammunition at the scene.
Since, 43-year-old Jeremy James Kayseas has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, discharging a firearm with intent, possession of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine), disguise with intent, breaking-and-entering, and various firearm-related offences.
Additionally, a 50-year-old man, a 46-year-old man, and a 30-year-old woman are all facing drug and firearm-related charges.
The building at 285 College Avenue, is owned by the Penner family, a problematic landlord in the city that sometimes operates under the name Living Recovery Foundation. Police are no strangers to the address, as in September 2023, Daniel Raymond Garvey-Rodriquez, was shot at the building and would die as a result of his injuries.
Karin Harper Penner, who is the founder of Living Recovery, did not respond to requests for comment, but Chief Smyth said officers will be flagging concerns about the building to the proper authority, saying: “We’ll see where that goes.”
Smyth says support from other services has been pouring in, and has helped, with the Winnipeg Police Association saying its members are “at home and are physically, and hopefully mentally recovering,” WPA vice president Jeremy Cull saying in a statement the WPA is thankful no one was killed.
“This was a dangerous situation, and we are relieved that none of our members were seriously or fatally injured. We are also relieved that our members were able to conclude it with no loss of life. These incidents are a reminder of the dangers faced by Police Officers and the importance of having properly trained, equipped, and resourced Police members who can handle these dangerous situations properly.”
-With files from Morgan Modjeski
