The use of Air 1 was quite successful in Winnipeg, no problems were detected. It helped the police to find stolen vehicles and follow the high-speed chases multiple times.
Last Sunday, December 9th four people were arrested with the help of the Winnipeg Police Service’s AIR1 chopper. Police spotted a vehicle — reported stolen from an East. St. Paul residence on Nov. 27 — driving erratically with no tail lights around Redwood Avenue and Salter Street on Sunday evening.
AIR1 tracked the vehicle through Winnipeg’s North End and told police when one person ran from the vehicle. That person was promptly taken into custody in the 100 block of Manitoba Avenue. Three other people were arrested and brought into custody after fleeing the vehicle a block later.
Three women and one man, in their mid-20s and 30s, were charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000. 31-year-old Ashley Nicole Fisher was also processed on two outstanding public interest warrants while 24-year-old Braiden Frederick Roy Williams was processed for Failure to Comply with a Probation Order.
Air1 helps Winnipeg Police quite often, just last month another stolen vehicle was tracked down and apprehended. Monday night, November 12th the vehicle was traveling on York Avenue near Memorial Boulevard, when it sped away from a traffic stop.
The air support was summoned to help with a chase, the helicopter followed the vehicle as it tried to evade police through the St. Matthews, Daniel McIntyre, and West Alexander areas until it eventually came to a stop in the back lane of the 800 block of William Avenue. The driver abandoned the car and was trying to get away on foot, but police officers quickly got to him and
arrested.
A 23-year-old Luke Tyler Woodhouse faces charges of fleeing while pursued by a police officer, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and driving without a license. There were also two outstanding warrants for his arrest.
The investigation still continues, more details will be presented in the official police report, after the investigation is closed. A car theft crime is on the rise in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, almost every day a vehicle gets reported stolen, most of them are located later by police on the streets, driven by impaired criminals. Many of such crimes involve youth, they just do it for fun or without thinking, while on meth or under other drugs influence.