Shots fired at OPP officers attempting to arrest Manitoba homicide suspect near Belleville, Ont.

Ontario Provincial Police say officers were fired at when they attempted to enter a residence just outside of Belleville, Ont., where they found Manitoba homicide suspect Eric Paul Wildman, who had been on the run for a week.

Wildman is wanted inconnection the disappearance and presumed death of his neighbour, CliffordJoseph, 40, who was last seen June 7leaving his home in the rural municipality ofSt. Clements, about 70 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The officers arrested Wildmanaround 5:30 a.m. on Friday. In a video statement posted on Twitter, OPP sayofficers went to a house in Prince Edward Countyafter receiving information from the community.

2men arrested in Ontario

"Upon entering, they were met with gunfire coming from within the residence,"OPP spokesperson Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says in the video.

"The officers moved into a position of containment around the residence, and our OPP crisis negotiators were able to make contact with the two occupants inside the house."

After lengthy negotiations,OPP arrestedtwo men, including Wildman, whois currently being transported to Winnipeg. Theother man, identified as an associateof Wildman,is being questioned, OPP said.

No injuries were reported.

During a news conference Friday morning, Manitoba RCMP said Wildman has been charged with unsafe transportation of a firearmand possession of a prohibited device without a licence. More charges are expected, said Supt. Michael Koppang, officer in charge of major crime services for the Manitoba RCMP.

RCMPhave been looking for Wildman, 34, since June 12. He was spotted on Wednesday in Manitoba not far from the Ontario border, heading east on Highway 44 in a rented grey 2020 Chevy Equinox, police said.

Wildman had been seen June 11 at a Lowe's store on Panet Road in Winnipeg, police said. After leaving the store, he took a taxi to the James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, where police say he rented theEquinox.

"As the investigation progressedand further evidence was gatheredthe increased risk to public safety became apparent," said Koppang.

"As the risk assessment increased, so too did the public alerts as this manhunt began."

Watch|Winnipeg RCMP describe arrest of Eric Wildman in Ontario

Winnipeg RCMP describe arrest of Eric Wildman in Ontario

3 years ago

Duration 0:55

According to Winnipeg RCMP, shots were fired at the Ontario Provincial Police when they tried to arrest Manitoba homicide suspect Eric Paul Wildman near Belleville, Ont.

Victim's vehicle found abandoned in Manitoba

Police announced they considered Wildman a person of interest in the Josephinvestigation on June 12, after they found Wildman's abandoned vehicle in East Kildonan in Winnipeg. Inside, they located police tactical gear, guns,police patches and other items resembling police uniforms.

Police named Wildman asa homicide suspect on June 14.

Joseph's body has not been found, butRCMPsaythey are convinced he is dead based onevidence they've discovered.His 1997 Ford Rangerwas foundabandoned in a rural area of Manitoba off Road 44 East on the day he was last seen.

Earlier this week, police said they were still trying to determine what the relationship between Wildman and Joseph was.

The search for Joseph's body continues, both at Wildman's property and in other areas, although officers are not currently looking in Ontario, Koppang said.

Responding to questions aboutwhy police did not activate the emergency alert system during their search, Koppang said they didn't have enough specific information to justify its use.

"At no time during this investigation did we have the requisite knowledge of the specific risk that Mr. Wildman posed, a location where that risk might manifest itself, or a specific target of that risk," he said.

"Without this, we would simply be raising fear without any possibility of mitigating that risk."

The search for a wanted Manitoba man comes to an end

3 years ago

Duration 2:29

Police encounter gunfire before Eric Wildman arrested near Belleville, Ontario.