Serious allegations against Winnipeg Police Service

"they threaten they said they would taser me in the back"

December 8, 2010
Global Winnipeg

A Winnipeg man has come forward with some disturbing allegations against Winnipeg police.

Evan Maud says officers picked him up off the street, drove him to the outskirts of town, and left him there in freezing weather. At least, he thinks it was cops, and police say they've yet to get a formal complain from him.

"I was crying so hard, I was like why are you guys doing that to me," said Evan Maud.

The 20-year old high school student claims he was threatened with a taser and verbally assaulted by two Winnipeg police officers.

"They told me not to look at their face so I couldn't look at their face, cause I was too scared," said Maud.

Around 4:00 a.m. Friday morning, Evan says he was walking home from his brother’s place after having a few drinks. It was on Burrows Avenue where he said an unmarked black car stopped him and the two men inside began questioning him. "He's like typing on the computer, he said something about me having a record with the law and I never had a record, I'm clean and going to school," he said. That when he claims they forced him into the car, took his jacket and sweater and drove to the South Perimeter. "When they were making me run, they threaten they said they would taser me in the back," he said, claiming the men gave him a different sweater to wear.

He managed to walk back into city limits and got on a bus, until he was kicked off for not paying a fare. He then managed to walk to a café where someone gave him money for a bus ride home.

The allegations bear a disturbing resemblance to the so-called "starlight tours" that rocked Saskatoon in 1990 and sparked a public inquiry. Police were accused of leaving native men on the outskirts of town to die in freezing weather. No charges were ever laid.

"These are very serious allegations that this individual is making," said Winnipeg Police Spokesperson, Constable Natalie.

Winnipeg police say they only learned about the accusation after reading about it in media reports Wednesday.

"The Winnipeg police service stands behind its officers," Aitken said. "At this time this is an allegation made by one individual that has not come forward to the police to report it."

Evan says he's too afraid to go to the police, and is making a complaint to the Law Enforcement Review Agency. But he admits, it may not even have been cops who picked him up.

"It could be someone dressed up as a cop too," Evan says.

Winnipeg Police say they'll be reaching out to Evan to speak about the alleged incident.

All police vehicles have GPS, a technology that can be used to find out where the car has been.