Pubdate: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2006, The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Joe Friesen Note: With reports from Canadian Press and CTV News WINNIPEG REELS AFTER POLICE SHOT WINNIPEG -- The expensive cars and beautiful women that visited the small green bungalow seemed like the outward signs of a blessed life. One woman used to look at her neighbour, 21-year-old Daniel Ian Anderson, and think what a promising future he had. Tall and good looking, he was surrounded by friends who drove Jaguars and other flashy vehicles, even if those friends did call at all hours of the night. But when the sound of banging drew her to the window late Thursday night, the woman, who asked not to be named, saw her neighbour's charmed life unravel. Police officers swarmed the area beneath her window. Men lay writhing on the ground. Within seconds, ambulances and stretchers arrived. Mr. Anderson, who had been wounded, was suddenly facing charges of attempted murder in connection with the shooting of three Winnipeg police officers. Police say the incident began around 11 p.m. as 12 officers arrived at the Jubilee Avenue house to execute a search warrant related to the narcotics trade. Sources said that as the officers moved from room to room, sweeping the interior of the home, shots were fired through a wall. The weapon was believed to be a 12-gauge shotgun. One officer took the brunt of a shot near the wrist. Colleagues say the impact blew through his wrist and hand, leaving him with a significant injury. Another officer, a four-year-veteran, was shot in the leg. Both were in stable condition in hospital yesterday. A third officer, a 12-year-veteran of the force, was shot in the stomach. He underwent surgery and was said to be in guarded condition. Police Chief Jack Ewatski said he was shocked. "We all realize when we go into this profession there are inherent risks," he told a news conference yesterday. "We certainly try to do everything to mitigate them, but when our fellow officers are injured in any way, shape or form as a result of performing their duties, it certainly strikes a chord with all of us." He would not say whether the officers were wearing bullet-proof vests, but said all were properly equipped and trained for their assignment. He also would not say whether the accused had been shot. "From my understanding, the proper protocols were followed for this type of warrant execution." The accused, Mr. Anderson, had not faced charges before. Although Chief Ewatski would not discuss possible gang ties, sources said Mr. Anderson is believed to have connections to a low-level street gang known as the Zig Zag Crew. The Zig Zag Crew has been described by police as a puppet organization for the Hells Angels. Mr. Anderson shared the home with his parents and two siblings in their 20s, neighbours said. Although one neighbour said he was certain the shooting was gang related, he refused to elaborate. The family had lived in the home for more than 20 years, after moving to Winnipeg from Nova Scotia, a neighbour said. "There was nice cars always coming there, Jaguars and other fancy cars that I admired," the neighbour said. "They had nice, beautiful girlfriends there at all times. I used to think how lucky they are. Tall, good looking. They have everything. "You just never know what's cooking in your neighbour's home." Loren Schinkel, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, said the names of the wounded officers weren't released in order to protect the privacy of their families. He said the incident shows how difficult policing has become in Winnipeg, where 80 per cent of warrant searches lead to the seizure of a firearm. Mr. Schinkel also said that many of the officers on the scene Thursday night were relatively inexperienced. Some had graduated from the police academy only two weeks earlier. More than half had fewer than five years on the job. He called on the City of Winnipeg to create a full-time emergency tactical response unit, as most other major Canadian cities have done. That way, he said, specially trained officers could handle high-risk entry situations. "The drug trade is a lucrative business and these people will do anything to protect their profits," Mr. Schinkel said. "There is no such thing as a routine search warrant." High-profile multiple police shootings July 15-16, 2006: RCMP constables Robin Cameron, 29, and Marc Bourdages, 26, die in hospital overnight about two hours apart. Both had suffered severe head injuries after being shot July 7 while chasing a suspect after a domestic dispute in Spiritwood, Sask. March 3, 2005: RCMP constables Brock Myrol, 29, Peter Schiemann, 25, Anthony Gordon, 28, and Leo Johnston, 32, are ambushed and gunned down in a raid on a suspected marijuana grow operation near Mayerthorpe, Alta. Feb 27, 1972: Detectives Michael Irwin, 38, and Douglas Sinclair, 44, of the Metropolitan Toronto Police, now the Toronto Police Service, are shot and killed while investigating a complaint about a man at a party at an apartment in the Don Mills area of Toronto. June, 1962: RCMP constables Elwood Keck, 25, Gordon Pedersen, 25, and Donald Weisgerber, 23, are shot and killed by a gunman firing his army surplus rifle from a bridge in Kamloops, B.C. October, 1935: RCMP Constable John Shaw, 39 and Constable William Wainwright, a municipal police officer from Benito, Man., are shot while transporting three young men suspected of armed robbery. After dumping the bodies in a swamp, the three run into an RCMP spot check and gun down the two officers there, Constable George Harrison, 29, and Sergeant Thomas Wallace, 39. Sources: CBC, CP - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman