As News 4 reported Sunday, December 27, 2020, police have now confirmed that the collision at Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street stemmed from a dangerous driver who was being pursued by police for nearly an hour.
Police say the incident began around 11:35 pm Saturday night when a patrol unit tried to conduct a traffic stop in the downtown area on a Toyota Tacoma truck that did not have any licence plates. The suspect fled but was not pursued according to a police media release.
Officers spotted the vehicle again soon afterwards on Maryland Street and then travelling westbound on Portage Avenue.
Police say that officers followed the vehicle from a distance as it drove outside the city on Roblin Boulevard into Headingley then headed eastbound back into Winnipeg.
Air-1 tracked the vehicle as it sped back towards downtown at times driving into oncoming traffic.
The pursuit came to an end when the suspect vehicle collided with a pickup truck at Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street at 12:30 am Sunday. Officers boxed the Toyota in and forcibly removed the driver from the truck.
In a video shot by a witness from a nearby apartment building that News 4 acquired minutes after the collision, officers can be seen pulling the male from the vehicle while shouting “drop the knife” multiple times. At one point in the video, the victim can be heard screaming as the taser is being deployed against him.
Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and treated the suspect as he lay handcuffed on the ground. He was transported to the hospital in stable condition, treated for his injuries and then released back into police custody.
The driver of the other truck involved in the collision was not injured.
28-year-old Dakota Kenneth Edward Tripp from Pelican Rapids, Manitoba has been charged for his alleged involvement with Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance, Flight While Pursued by Police, Possess Weapon, Operation of a Conveyance While Impaired by Alcohol or Drug, Drive Suspended, Warrant of Arrest x 2.
Tripp was detained in custody.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has been provided details of the incident due to the suspect sustaining injuries and are are currently monitoring the investigation. The IIU could choose to take on a larger role in the investigation as more information becomes available.
– – With files from Jason Driedger, Keegan Driedger and Caden Jones
© News4.ca 2020
