The driver was arrested following a police pursuit and a ‘brief struggle’
A 42-year-old Canadian man is facing multiple criminal charges after driving his Jeep Patriot through a group of protesters in Winnipeg on Friday night, injuring four people.
The Winnipeg Police said that after plowing through the crowd, the suspect fled the scene at high speed, passing through several red lights. According to the press release, he was eventually chased down and arrested following a “brief struggle.”
A disturbing dashcam video from a parked truck shared on social media appears to show the moment a white SUV drove through a group of people peacefully protesting near Broadway and Memorial Boulevard.
Police confirmed that the suspect struck four adult males, who were part of the Freedom Convoy protest at the Legislative grounds. Three of the victims suffered minor injuries, while the fourth was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released.
The man, whose identity has not been released, remains in custody, charged with multiple cases of assault, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and recklessly fleeing the scene of an accident.
Police spokesperson Const. Rob Carver said “it’s pretty miraculous that nobody sustained any serious injuries,” according to the Winnipeg Sun. Police refused speculate on the suspect’s motives, but said that some of his initial comments during arrest “suggest that this was not specifically about the [Covid-19] mandates.”
The incident comes amid the so-called Freedom Convoy protest, which has spread far beyond Canada’s capital over the past week. Protesters pledged to remain in the streets until all mandates and Covid-19 restrictions are gone. Authorities blasted the protest as a well-organized disruptive occupation, painting them as an “increasingly volatile and increasingly dangerous” nuisance to the livelihoods of law-abiding citizens.
