2 police officers shot in raid remain in hospital

Last Updated: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 | 9:19 AM CT

CBC News

Two of three Winnipeg police officers shot during a raid on a Jubilee Avenue home Thursday night remain in hospital on Monday, a police spokesman said.

Daniell Ian Anderson, 21, was charged with the attempted murders of constables Curtis Penner and Donald Murray, according to court documents obtained by CBC News on Monday.

Police officers attend the scene where three police officers and a suspect were shot early Friday.
(John Woods/Canadian Press)

However, no charges were laid in relation to the shooting of the third officer, raising speculation that the officer may have been shot by a police gun.

"We can't be sure of that at this time," Sgt. Kelly Dennison told a news conference Monday. 

"Until all of these officers have been treated and have been able to give statements, and ballistically we've been able to look at all the evidence, that's not going to be clear. I'd hate to speculate."

Despite the court documents, police have refused to release the names of any of the officers.

Two officers in stable condition

Of the three officers shot, a 12-year member of the force was shot in the abdomen, required surgery and remains in serious but stable condition in hospital, Dennison said.

A 17-year member of the force who required surgery for gunshot wounds to the hand and forearm was in "guarded but stable" condition.

A four-year member of the police service, who was shot in the lower leg, has since been released from hospital, Dennison said.

The officers were executing a drug search warrant on the house, in the 700 block of Jubilee Avenue, shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday when police allege Anderson shot them.

Anderson was also injured during the raid. He was released from hospital into police custody.

In addition to the attempted murder charges, Anderson also faces two weapons-related charges, according to court documents.

He may face more charges, pending the results of the police investigation but police will not be interviewing the injured officers until their conditions improve, Dennison said.

'Were proper procedures followed?' criminologist asks

A Winnipeg criminologist said Monday that the police service should promptly address some questions that have lingered since the incident.

"We need to also understand the dynamics of this particular shooting," University of Winnipeg professor Helmut-Harry Loewen said Monday.

"Were proper procedures followed? Was it the case that the police were shooting at each other, in sort of a case of friendly fire? What does that illustrate in terms of police training?"

But Dennison maintained that police followed proper procedures in executing the search warrant Thursday night and announced their entry.

"Everything was done according to the book on this one, as far as we can tell at this point," he said.

"And for any indication that this may have been something other than what it exactly was, I think is purely speculation and false."

Loewen added that the service should take the opportunity to review the mandate of its street crimes unit, which it founded after disbanding the Operation Clean Sweep pilot project earlier this year. Members of the street crimes unit were at the scene of the raid when the shootings occurred.

"With these types of targeted policing operations … a very mobile, targeted kind of policing — I think it's very possible that these types of situations will multiply and the police will actually expose themselves to more dangers like this," he said.