On January 24, 2022, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service responded to a carjacking in the West End. The victim was seated in her parked car when confronted by an unknown male brandishing a knife and demanding her vehicle. She managed to exit the vehicle without injury, and the suspect fled.
While an initial police unit spoke to the victim, they observed the stolen vehicle fleeing northbound on Agnes Street and called for backup units, including AIR1.
Ground units entered the area and observed the fleeing vehicle dangerously surpassing speed limits for the given road and traffic conditions. AIR1 made visual contact of the vehicle, and ground units disengaged. As AIR1 had visual containment of the moving vehicle, they provided updates and coordination for the ground units to operate at a distant follow.
For approximately fourteen minutes, the suspect vehicle mazed around the West End area at high rates of speed, disobeying traffic controls and narrowly missing head-on collisions with oncoming traffic.
The vehicle eventually drove into a snow mound in the 1000 block of Ingersoll Street, where an individual bailed out of the passenger side and ran away, and the vehicle again took off. An adult male was eventually located by ground units and taken into custody.
AIR1 maintained an eye on the fleeing vehicle, which crashed into a snowbank in the 1500 block of William Avenue. The driver exited, running through the surrounding yards, attempting to enter the backdoor of a residence. AIR1 tracked the suspect’s movements on foot, leading the ground units to his precise location, where he was taken into custody.
Major Crimes took over the investigation. Edward Luke ERHART, 29, of Winnipeg, was charged with the following offences:
- Robbery
- Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance
- Flight While Pursued by Peace Officer
- Disguise with Intent
- Operation of a Conveyance while Prohibited
- Fail to Comply Probation Order
- Fail to Comply Undertaking
A 39-year-old male of Winnipeg is facing the charge of Possess Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000.
He was released on an Undertaking (as mandated by the Criminal Code).
