2 men accused of firing shots out of taxi, waving gun at driver
Cabbie may have avoided further violence by driving them to their destination, police spokesperson says
The Winnipeg Police Service arrested two men for allegedly firing shots out of a taxi and pointing a gun at the driver on Sunday in the North End.
Police received reports around 2:30 a.m. of shots being fired in the King Street and Flora Avenue area.
The taxi driver told officers three people were in his vehicle, and two of them waved a gun around in his cab, police said.
One of the men leaned out the window, firing shots into the street, and when the cab dropped them off at their destination, shot out the windshield, police said.
"It's quite brazen. If you're the taxi driver, what can you do?" said police public information officer Const. Tammy Skrabek.
The cab driver probably kept the situation from escalating by simply driving the passengers to their destination despite the gun, Skrabek said.
Officers and the canine unit tracked the men to a home in the drop-off location and arrested four people.
Police searched the home and found a loaded sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun.
The two men face a combined 23 charges, including possessing of an unauthorized firearm and ammunition.
A 24-year-old man and 19-year-old woman were also arrested on outstanding warrants.