Child abduction leads to attack on officers, arrest of 8 people after standoff: Manitoba RCMP
RCMP say the officers were attacked after responding to a report of a child abduction south of Winnipeg
An alleged child abduction turned into an hours-long stand off with police near Roseau River Monday, leading to the arrest of eight people, Manitoba RCMP say.
Police in Steinbach were called around 10:45 a.m. Monday with a report that two children under the age of two had been abducted by their biological parents following a supervised visit, an RCMP release said Tuesday.
Officers were told the parents fled in a vehicle, and were believed to be headed to the Roseau River area.
RCMP followed the parents to a home in the rural municipality of Emerson-Franklin, located about 80 kilometres south of Winnipeg.
Three officers were confronted outside the home by a group of eight people, who surrounded the officers and physically attacked them, RCMP say.
Police managed to arrest two of the people. The others went into the house and continued to make threats, RCMP say.
Because the children were still in the home and threats of violence were made, the area was cordoned off and a section of Highway 59 was closed, police said.
The other six people were arrested around 6 p.m.
Two people face charges of parental abduction and resisting arrest.
The other six people are charged with assaulting a police officer and aiding and abetting parental abduction, police said.
RCMP said the children were not harmed in the incident and are now in a safe environment.
RCMP from Steinbach and Morris are continuing to investigate.
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