Car drives through police protest in Winnipeg, driver confronted
Posted September 4, 2024 5:06 pm.
Last Updated September 4, 2024 7:25 pm.
A protest that shut down the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street, calling for accountability after a police car struck and killed a woman near a homeless encampment on Monday, took an unexpected and violent turn.
During the protest, a driver attempted to drive through a group of people.
A video recorded by an attendee shows the driver approach the intersection at a high rate of speed, nearly striking a cyclist, before accelerating again, leaving mayhem in its wake.
Two men jumped on the hood of the car as others surrounded it, the driver backed up and sped off around a corner, and the men on the hood fell from the vehicle.
The car then appeared to strike the woman and run over her bicycle, dragging it away.
The driver later stopped and a protester stood on the car and kicked the windshield until it was shattered and police arrived at the scene.
“I was hit by the car, I was able to step out of the way before he did more damage,” said one of the people struck by the car who wished to remain anonymous. They say the horrifying incident was a fitting representation of the dangers faced by Winnipeg pedestrians and cyclists on a daily basis.
“Cars have been coming up super quickly towards a group of people who are clearly grieving because their convenience trumps other people’s safety.”
Police said they spoke to the cyclist who was hit, and noted they declined medical attention and further police involvement.
WPS also noted all other protesters involved in the matter left before police arrived.
Protest calls for accountability
The protest comes after Winnipeg police confirmed Tuesday that a woman had died after being hit by a police car Monday evening, which at the time was taking a person home to a homeless encampment in Fort Rouge Park.
Lori Bateman, says her sister, Tammy Bateman was the woman who died Monday, and says regardless of the police’s intentions at the time of the incident, her family deserves answers.
READ MORE: ‘It’s tragic’: Woman dead after being hit by Winnipeg police cruiser in Fort Rouge Park encampment
“It’s an encampment you know people are going to be wandering around that’s their home area, so why not treat it like their home and give them some respect and they didn’t.”
Bateman says her family is still in shock coming to grips with the loss of her sister but wishes for her to be remembered as a beloved mother, sister, and daughter.
“She loved her family, loved our dad, she was always there when she could, she couldn’t give much but she always had a heart of gold.”
-With files from the Canadian Press
