Officials say police saved lives in Winnipeg over weekend 

Winnipeg police are investigating four stabbings that occurred over the weekend. Despite the fact there was four violent incidents over two days, officials say it was medical intervention by police that stopped the number of homicides in the city from climbing even further.

“They are stepping up to provide this medical care that essentially is saving lives — no question,” said Jason Michalyshen, Winnipeg Police Service Public Information Office.

So far in 2024, there have been 13 homicides in Winnipeg and on Monday, police detailed four incidents where officers may have saved a life and prevented that figure from rising.

The first incident happened Saturday afternoon when officers were called to a stabbing in the area of Carlton Street and Cumberland Avenue, with officers applying pressure to the victim of what’s being called an unprovoked attack. 

The second, happened just after midnight Sunday when a man was stabbed outside of the Smittys in the 1000 block of St. James Street after a verbal argument escalated to a fight, where officers applied a tourniquet to a man with a serious lower-body injury. 

“I can say for quite certain, that if that tourniquet wasn’t applied when it was, we wouldn’t be talking about a stabbing in relation to an aggravated assault, there’s a very good chance that this would have been a homicide.” 

Then at 1:45 a.m., police were called to a stabbing in the 300 block of Maryland Street where they applied a chest seal to a man in his 50s. 

Five minutes later, police were called to Anderson Ave. and Salter St. where a man in his 20s was stabbed, officers applied a chest seal in this incident as well. 

All of the incidents are being investigated. Michalyshen says details in a release on Monday are just a “snippet” of the work officers do every day, and he says it’s likely these types of scenarios will continue into the warmer, and busier summer season.  

“There’s no question, things are going to get busy. As there’s more and more people enjoying warmer weather, we have more people in our community out and about and potentially more opportunities for individuals who are willing  — or looking for — opportunities to engage in criminal behaviour.”