Winnipeg man charged with sexual assault, cruelty to animals, assaulting officer
Nearly 20 charges dating back to 2022 laid against man
A Winnipeg man has been charged with a slew of offences, from sexual assault and animal cruelty to forcible confinement, identity fraud and assault, after being arrested at a hotel in the city's Niakwa area.
The Manitoba Integrated High-Risk Sex Offender Unit, a joint forces unit of the Winnipeg Police Service and the RCMP, went to the hotel on April 7 to arrest a 42-year-old man for breaches and outstanding warrants.
The officers were joined by members of the city police tactical team and other patrol members from the police and RCMP.
The man was standing in the lobby with a large dog when he saw police and ran into one of the suites.
He tried to barricade the door, but police were able to get inside the suite, where the man reached for a knife in his waistband, while his dog lunged at one of the officers, police said.
Both were shot by what police call a "less-lethal" munition, a term police use to describe munitions used to incapacitate people, such as with beanbag guns.
The dog was taken by animal services and given medical attention while the man was medically cleared.
Police would not elaborate on where the incident happened, refusing to provide a street name.
The man was charged with sexual interference and breach of a prohibition order dating back to July 2023 in Gimli, and failing to comply with a court order from November 2024 in Winnipeg. He was also charged with resisting arrest, assault of a peace officer and weapons offences.
The high-risk offender unit continued to investigate and the man is now accused of more offences that occurred from 2022 to 2025, involving a sexual assault of a woman and abuses to dogs and cats.
On Tuesday, the man was charged with 13 additional offences:
- Sexual assault.
- Forcible confinement.
- Assault.
- Assault causing bodily harm.
- Assault by choking, suffocating or strangling.
- Criminal harassment.
- Harassing communications.
- Identity fraud.
- Fraud over $5,000.
- Theft over $5,000.
- Causing unnecessary pain/suffering to animals (two counts).
- Failing to comply with a prohibition regarding children.