Winnipeg police cars smashed, suspect arrested

A truck driver has been taken into custody after five parked police cars were rammedin Winnipeg this morning, disrupting a peaceful protest by medicinal marijuana advocates in the process.

The man was arrested following apolice chasethat endedwest of Portage la Prairie, almost 85 kilometres west of Winnipeg on the Trans-Canada Highway, around1:15 p.m. CT Monday.

RCMP confirmthat the suspect is believed to be responsible fordamaging the five Winnipeg Police Service vehicles two marked cruisers and three unmarked cars two hours earlier.CBC News has alsolearned that thedriverhad received a traffic ticket prior to the incident.

RCMPsaid theywould not release the suspect's name until he has been formally charged.

However,the man who was arrestedhas been identified by a co-workeras WayneRennie, an employee of B&R Transfer,aWinnipeg-based couriercompany.

The co-workerconfirmed to CBC NewsthatRenniehad beenarrested by police following the car-smashing incident.

The co-worker, who did not want to be named, saidRenniewas a good workerwho showed up to work on time, made his deliveries and had a good attitude.

The owner of the company, Bill Murray, refused to comment to CBC News about the incident.

'It was no accident,' says witness

The policevehicleshad their windows smashed and passenger-side doors dented when a white, five-tonne truck reversed into them outside the parkade near the Public Safety Building in the city's Exchange District.

"I've never seen anything like thisvery brazen, especially during the day, and unfortunately while another public demonstration was going on," Winnipeg police Sgt. NickPaulettold reporters at the scene.

"When he hit the first one, I thought it was an accident and he was just trying to pull into there It was no accident," she said.

"He backed up and hit this one and just kept doing it all of them, like, intentionally backing up and then he took off."

LesleyProctor, who was in a vehiclebehind the truck, recorded video footage ofit ramming into the last car and driving away.

"There was quite a group of people ahead down the street. I thought well, you know, hopefully there's no pedestrians because this guy, he must be crazy. Like, he's ramming these cars intentionally," she said.

A piece of metal from the truck was left behind when it was driven away.

Paulet called the smash-up an attack on both police and public property.

"Anytime this happens to the police service, I think we all as police officers but as citizens have to sort of scratch our heads a little bit, because all the police do is represent the interests of the citizens," he said.

Upwards of 30citypolice and RCMP cars were involved in chasing the truck along the Trans-Canada Highway.

RCMPsaidthey are working with Winnipeg police to investigate the case.

Not linked to potprotest, police say

The incidenthappened at the same time that marijuana advocates were smoking upoutside the PSB to protest attempts by police to close the city's only medicinal marijuana dispensary.

Dispensary owner Glenn Price was visibly upset by what happened, saying the "smoke-in" was supposed to be a peaceful event.

"This is not right.This is not what I wanted," Price said as he walked by the smashed vehicles.

Winnipeg police spokesperson Const. Jason Michalyshen saidthere is no indication the incident was linked tothe marijuana rally.

The incident happened while police were updating reporters inside the PSB on the continuing search for 57-year-old Thelma Krull.