A 29-year-old Winnipeg man is facing 11 new charges after a tense standoff on Nairn Ave. that began Thursday afternoon.

A suspect fled to a nearby home in the 400 block of Nairn yesterday afternoon, where he sequestered himself for approximately six hours and 30 minutes, says Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

Officers had responded to a call regarding a firearm-related incident around 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23.

A stolen vehicle with stolen plates was being operated in the area of the Nairn overpass by the male suspect around 1:45 p.m. He was driving at a very high speed, ignoring traffic signals and traveling in the oncoming lane prior to colliding with another vehicle, as observed by officers responding to the firearms-related incident in the area.

The suspect's vehicle was involved in a crash on the Nairn overpass, following which he fled on foot. Officers pursued the suspect, who at one point turned around and put his hand on his waistband, telling officers that he would shoot them, said Constable Jay Murray, Public Information Officer for the WPS.

Shortly after, the suspect was observed to enter the home on Nairn uninvited.

The WPS tactical team arrived shortly after and began treating the situation as an armed and barricaded event. One individual fled the residence shortly after the suspect entered; three others were safely removed from the house throughout the course of the afternoon. Four adults were inside the home at the time that the suspect entered.

According to Murray, it is believed that the suspect may have had some familiarity with the house, as well as some of its occupants, however, the suspect was not well known to the occupants.

The suspect is believed to have simply entered the dwelling by way of an unlocked door. The house is known as one for housing transient occupants.

At around 8:10 p.m., a fire was observed by officers in the house, that quickly overtook the first and second floors of the building. Tactical Support Team officers took this opportunity to approach the burning house and used forced entry on a fortified window to pull the male suspect to safety.

The residence was significantly damaged by the fire, and has been deemed a total loss. A cat is believed to have died in the fire; damages are estimated around $100,00.

The suspect was taken to hospital for precautionary measures, say police, and was treated for smoke inhalation. He was then transported to the WPS headquarters. Members of the Major Crimes Unit then continued with the investigation.

It is believed that the suspect was involved in several activities before the incident on Nairn, including:

  • A carjacking in the areal of Cavalier Drive and Portage Avenue on May 14
  • Stolen license plates from a vehicle in the 400 block of Talbot Avenue between May 21 and 23
  • A firearm-related incident responded to by officers at a residence in the Chalmers area on May 23 at approximately 1:15 p.m.
  • Stolen property amounting to around $330 in merchandise from a store in the 900 block of Nairn Avenue on May 23 at approximately 1:42 p.m.

Numerous police resources were deployed throughout the standoff situation in order to ensure the safety of the public, say police.

Police say that drugs are believed to have been a factor in the incident.