Inquest hears Winnipeg teen Eishia Hudson never ‘rammed’ police car
Posted February 3, 2026 7:18 pm.
The record of what happened in the final moments of Eishia Hudson’s life is being set straight six years after the 16-year-old was shot and killed by Winnipeg police.
Court heard Tuesday that Hudson never actually rammed a police car in the early moments of an April 8, 2020, police pursuit.
As the inquest continued, the court heard directly from Sgt. Dustin Dreger of the WPS, who was one of the first police officers to interact with Hudson and four other youths following a reported robbery at a Sage Creek liquor store.
Dreger, with the service since 2007, testified that while his partner broadcast onto the police radio their cruiser had been “rammed,” he told the court and Judge Margaret I Wiebe that actually: “The contact wasn’t significant,” when there was contact during an attempted traffic stop at Dragonfly Court, a dead-end cul-de-sac.
He told the court the word rammed, was “common police lingo” and did not accurately describe the contact between the police cruiser and the suspect vehicle, saying he was actually able to steer his car away to avoid a significant impact.
In separate testimony Tuesday, Dreger’s partner, Jeff Vincent, now a Det. Sgt., said the use of the word “rammed” was describing what he thought was the perceived intention of the Jeep to drive toward the police cruiser, but in court, he too acknowledged the contact was not serious, and was “a glancing blow.”
The Winnipeg Police Service has standing at the inquest and is actively participating in the proceedings. A statement from Chief Gene Bowers, while the service can’t comment on proceedings, he acknowledged the challenging process.
“As the purpose of the inquest is to explore the circumstances that led to Eishia’s death, we know that the details will be traumatic and distressing for family, friends, the community, our officers, and others who are testifying at or attending the inquest hearings. We urge those impacted to be mindful of their well-being.”
The inquest continues on Wednesday.
