Intoxicated teens attack Mounties trying to break up chaotic house party By: Erik Pindera Posted: 3:17 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 Last Modified: 5:15 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 Updates

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EAST ST. PAUL — RCMP officers attempting to break up a house party that had descended into chaos were swarmed by about 70 intoxicated and unruly young people, subjected to racial slurs, spat upon and had fireworks launched at them Saturday night.

They quickly learned there were hundreds of teens at the out-of-control party on Saddleridge Lane near Rothesay Street, an upscale neighbourhood inside the North Perimeter Highway.

“Excessive drug use was apparent to officers as was a severe level of intoxication amongst many of the party attendees,” RCMP said in a news release Monday.

Video of the chaotic scene that circulated widely on social media showed several teens jumping on RCMP vehicles and kicking out one of the cruiser’s windshields. The hood and roof of the other cruiser car was damaged.

 

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The Red River North detachment received numerous calls about the party at about 10 p.m., police said.

Officers intervened as two male teens dragged a female into the bush in an attempt to sexually assault her, according to police. She was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The suspects managed to run away.

Police announced no arrests in connection with any of the crimes committed that night. They appealed to any of the party-goers to come forward if they had been assaulted.

A neighbour said the teens were “just running like crazy.”

Patricia, a 62-year-old who didn’t want her last name used, said she was watching TV when all hell broke loose.

“At about 10:45 (p.m.), we heard a loud bang. We assumed it was fireworks… We got out and looked out here and we saw hundreds — hundreds of people — all running in one direction, and then cars one after the other,” she said Monday.

Patricia told her husband she was going to call police — then saw officers running after the kids.

“There was just cop cars everywhere, chasing them… it was just mayhem, everywhere,” she said, adding she saw at least 10 cruisers.

“For this kind of neighbourhood, you don’t expect that. It was quite shocking, scary at the time.”

Officers from the Selkirk and Oakbank RCMP detachments were joined by traffic officers, the dog unit and Winnipeg police officers as back up.

Patricia said she spoke with a neighbour who has a surveillance camera with a more direct view of the party house.

“It had to be 1,000 kids, and they were jumping all over the (RCMP cruiser),” she said.

“We thought it was just a big house party that went crazy (on) social media, they start texting one person and it blows up.”

She saw the widely circulated video.

“We saw the cars and could not believe what they were doing — that’s a cop car,” she said. “It’s vandalism, those kids who did that — it’s terrible.”

A 19-year-old who attended the party told the Free Press “way too many people showed up” after it was posted and reposted on the social-media platform Snapchat.

He said RCMP officers were at the house kicking people out when some of the attendees started taking photos of the police vehicles, before other kids started climbing on the vehicle and stomping it.

“As soon as one of the kids broke the windshield, everybody started running,” the 19-year-old said.

“We saw the cars and could not believe what they were doing — that’s a cop car… It’s vandalism, those kids who did that — it’s terrible.”–Patricia

Supt. John Duff, who commands the Manitoba RCMP east district, said the behaviour was unacceptable.

“The level of violence and the racist language directed at responding police officers is beyond disturbing. Be assured that we are reviewing video and audio captured by our police vehicles as well as the videos posted to social media. We will hold people accountable for their actions,” he said in a statement.

Some of the youths were in “vulnerable states” and in danger, yet many prevented police from doing their jobs, Selkirk RCMP Staff Sgt. Kyle McFadyen said.

“We are very concerned that there may be more victims of crime that night,” McFadyen said in a statement.

Police have asked anyone with information about the party or who was a victim to call the Red River North RCMP detachment at 204-482-1222 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

“The level of violence and the racist language directed at responding police officers is beyond disturbing.”–Supt. John Duff

The damage to the residence, the property and the police vehicles was significant, RCMP said.

The homeowner was out of the province at the time of the party, but is co-operating with the investigation, police said.

Neighbour Patricia said the home had recently been sold and the owners moved on Friday. The exterior of the home did not appear damaged on Monday.

“There were beer cans absolutely everywhere,” she said, adding someone cleaned up the street on Sunday.

“We went for a walk later on and there were still beer cans and Smirnoff cans littering (the street).”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice.

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