Driver confronted after car driven through protest against police in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — A man attempted to drive through a demonstration in downtown Winnipeg on Wednesday, veering off with one protester on his hood and the bicycle of another protester under his wheels.

About 50 people had shut down the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street at noon on Thursday to demand accountability, after a police car struck and killed a woman near a homeless encampment on Monday night.

Police had blocked most traffic around the demonstrators, but some vehicles were able to get through to the edge of the intersection in order to make right turns.

Video from the protest shows a large sedan approaching the area, where a few people were blocking the road with bicycles, then trying to continue straight into the intersection.

Two protesters jumped on the car’s hood, with one throwing punches near the driver’s window, while two others stood alongside it. The car then backed up. One protester got off the hood and entered the front passenger door. The car then veered right, running over a bicycle held by a woman and dragging it down a side street.

“I put my bike in front of me and then he ran over my bike and I stepped out of the way,” the woman, who did not provide her name, told reporters soon after.

“I did fall and the car did make impact on my body.”

The driver parked the car as other protesters rushed to the vehicle. One man stood on the hood and stomped on the windshield, breaking it. The driver, who had blood on his neck, got out of the car. He said he didn’t understand what was going on and was trying to visit a relative.

Police questioned the driver and were asking to speak with anyone who was hit by the vehicle. They said the investigation was ongoing and no arrests had been made.

“Members of the police liaison team spoke with the cyclist, who declined medical attention and further police involvement,” police said in a release.

“All other protesters involved in this matter left prior to police arrival. The driver of the involved vehicle remained at the scene.”

Demonstrators had gathered to demand answers in the death at the homeless encampment. Police have said officers were taking another person to the encampment when their cruiser struck the woman.

Police have not revealed the woman’s name and have released few details about the collision, which is being investigated by the Independent Investigation Unit, a provincial oversight body.

Lori Bateman, who was surrounded by supporters at Wednesday’s protest, said the woman who died was her sister, Tammy Bateman.

“I want full justice on this … there’s no reason that my sister should have been struck like that,” she said.

“You know, it’s an encampment in the bush … people are walking around. This is their home.”

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs called for a thorough and transparent investigation.

“What took place Monday night is not merely a set of tragic circumstances, and it is hard to see this most recent situation as anything other than police involvement leading to the loss of life,” Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said in a press release.

Wednesday’s demonstration finished with a march to police headquarters, where protesters put painted handprints on the building.

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