No charges after homeless person injures, chases high school student

A Grade 9 student at a Winnipeg school was injured after being chased by a homeless person during an outdoor gym class Tuesday.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

A Grade 9 student at a Winnipeg school was injured after being chased by a homeless person during an outdoor gym class Tuesday. Police are warning students to avoid the forest where the injury occurred but say there are “insufficient grounds” to lay charges.

According to a letter sent to parents of students at College Jeanne-Sauve, a Grade 9 physical education class was in the Dakota Forest with their teacher when a group of students walked by a tent. The letter said an “unsheltered person” came out of the tent and chased the group, catching one of the students and causing injuries.

Christian Michalik, superintendent of the Louis Riel School Division, did not have information about the injuries suffered by the student or how they were caused, but said the student did not require further medical attention.

Relevantly, a recent motion approved by a city committee seeks to prohibit homeless encampments in Winnipeg near schools, playgrounds and bus shelters.

The motion was unanimously approved by the Community Services Committee during its meeting Monday.

Winnipeg Police said in a statement that they investigated and there are insufficient grounds to charge the unsheltered male.

Michalik said the incident is concerning.

“We are acknowledging in the City of Winnipeg that we have a homelessness problem that we absolutely must resolve,” he said.

Michalik said staff have been told to avoid Dakota Forest until police confirm follow-up actions.

“We’ll want to be vigilant as a result of this incident in the coming days and weeks, but I am confident that we will be back in the forest again soon,” he said.