Manitoba property owner charged after firing shots at suspected thieves

A 66-year-old property owner in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, Manitoba, has been charged after firing shots at four individuals he suspected of theft. The incident unfolded Saturday night when the man's motion camera alerted him to activity on his rural property. Police stated that the four suspects had been on the property earlier in the day and returned later in two vehicles stolen from Watrous, Saskatchewan.

Upon their return, the suspects allegedly siphoned fuel from a portable container into one of the stolen vehicles. The property owner then confronted the group, reportedly armed with a gun. "During this confrontation, the property owner fired shots towards the vehicles," according to a Manitoba RCMP news release.

When police arrived around 10:45 p.m. following a report, three suspects remained on the scene with one of the stolen trucks, which contained stolen goods. A fourth suspect had departed in the second stolen vehicle, which was later discovered abandoned in a canola field a few kilometers away. The three arrested suspects, all from southern Manitoba and aged between 29 and 47, face charges including theft, possession of stolen property, possessing break-in instruments, and trespassing. The 29-year-old also faces a charge for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The 66-year-old property owner was also arrested Saturday night but has since been released on an undertaking. He faces multiple charges, including two counts each of careless use of a firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offense, and discharging a firearm in a reckless manner.

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During this confrontation, the property owner fired shots towards the vehicles.