Man charged after driving vehicle at police

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This article was published 15/08/2017 (2439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man is facing charges after nearly hitting a police officer with his vehicle while attempting to flee the scene of a reported assault early Sunday morning.

At about 1:30 a.m., officers responded to the incident and found the man locked in a vehicle outside an apartment building in the 1000 block of Andrews Street.

Police attempted to remove the man by breaking the car windows when he didn’t exit upon request. The man then started the car, put it in reverse and narrowly missed an officer who jumped out of the way.

He then sped away and crashed into a fenced compound near the intersection of Main Street and Partridge Avenue. He was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Const. Jay Murray said it is believed the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, however, he refused to provide a blood sample when one was demanded.

Kevin Garth Helm, 43, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, assaulting a peace officer, resisting a peace officer, failure or refusal to provide a blood sample and failure to comply with a probation order, along with three separate counts of assault.

Police say Helm was known to police prior to the incident.

He was detained in custody.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca