On March 23, 2020, at approximately 10:45 am, Steinbach RCMP received a report of two children under two-years old that were abducted by their biological parents following a supervised visit in the Rural Municipality of Hanover.
Officers were advised that the suspects fled in a vehicle and were believed to be headed to the Roseau River area. Patrols were made and officers located the vehicle at a residence located on Road 29E in the Rural Municipality of Emerson-Franklin.
Three officers attended this address and were immediately met outside by a group of eight individuals who surrounded and physically attacked the officers. The officers, who were outnumbered, managed to arrest two suspects and were able to remove themselves from the situation without injury. The individuals who assaulted the officers went back inside and continued to threaten harm to police.
As the children were still within the home and threats of violence were made, the area was cordoned off and a section of Highway 59 was closed, while additional RCMP resources made their way to the location.
At approximately 6:00 pm, with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team, entry was made into the residence and the remaining suspects were safely arrested.
The parents of the two children, a 23-year-old male and 21-year-old female, both from Steinbach, are facing charges of Parental Abduction and Resisting Arrest and remain in police custody.
The other six suspects arrested include, a 50-year-old male and 44-year-old female from Roseau River, and four males, a 16-year-old, 17-year-old, 19-year-old and 24-year-old, all from the RM of Emerson-Franklin. The six suspects remain in police custody and will face various charges including Assaulting a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Assault with a Weapon and Aiding and Abetting Parental Abduction.
Steinbach & Morris RCMP continue to investigate.