Air pistol put against man's head, fired several times during online sales meetup

A Winnipegger who went to sell a watch Tuesday evening had what he thought was a fully functional pistol placed against his head and fired several times as he was robbed.

Police believe the firearm was in fact a BB gun, but the man still was badly injured during the terrifying experience, one in a string of four robberies connected to online classified sales in the space of two hours on Tuesday night.

"I don't know if I have words for the assault," Const. Jay Murray said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"I mean, you look at the lasting psychological impact that might take place with this person, who essentially had what they thought was a firearm pointed against their head and the trigger pulled.It's very disturbing."

The robberies, which took place from about 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., prompted police to warn Winnipeggers to consider suspending online classified sales on Tuesday evening before they arrested two suspects.

The first robbery was at about 5:30 p.m., when a youth, 18,who was selling clothing online met with two young men at an arena in the Valley Gardens. One of the two pulled out what the vendor believed was a firearm and robbed him.

In the second robbery, another 18-year-old selling shoes online met two men at a mall in St. Vital at about 5:50 p.m. and was assaulted and robbed.

'He'll require lasting treatments'

The third robbery was the one where the one where the victim, 25, was injured.

He met two young men around 6:30 p.m. in the Exchange District to sell a watch, and one of them pulled out what he believed was a firearm.

The armed man put the firearm against the head and fired several shots. The victim was assaulted before he finally ran away.

Even though police believe it was an air pistol or BB pistol, the seller was badly injured and taken to the hospital, Murray said.

"He'll require lasting treatments. It isn't something that he's going to walk away from very quickly," Murray said, adding the injuries could have been worse.

In the final robbery, two young men went to an apartment block in the Valhalla area at 7:15 p.m. to meet a man, 27, who was trading shoes online. One of the young men pulled out what was described as a firearm and hit the seller in the head multiple times, then robbed him.

"All the victims in these matters thought that it was a real firearm that was pointed at them," Murray said. "I think this speaks to how realistic these weapons often look."

A police patrol unit spotted a vehicle they suspected had been used in the robberies in the area of Lagimodiere Boulevard and Grassie Boulevard around 7:55 p.m.

Weapon was .177-calibre BB air pistol

The vehicle was stopped and tactical support team members, with help from general patrol units, took four people inside into custody. They found a .177-calibre BB air pistol in the vehicle.

Police arrested two suspects, both 17, but released the other two.

Both suspects facea number of counts of armed robbery using a firearm, robbery, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, prohibited device or ammunition. One also faces charges of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent.

The air pistol will be tested to see the speed at which it fires, how much damage it can do and whether it meets the Criminal Code definition of a firearm, Murray said.

People need to remember to be careful when they use online classified ad sales sites, he said.

"We don't want to victim blame. We don't want to suggest that these individuals did anything wrong," he said. "I mean, it's unfortunate, but some of these crimes are unavoidable."

Online sales tips

Winnipeg police advise online classified sellers to:

• Never meet someone alone.
• Meet in a public place with many people around. Avoid meeting in areas you are unfamiliar with.
• Meet during daylight hours if possible.
• Check the area and if things don't look or feel right, make alternative arrangements.
• Keep a mobile phone nearby.
• Exchange phone numbers but don't give personal information beyond your name.
• Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Safe transaction zones

Police in some cities, like Brandon, have created designated zones for people to safely complete online transactions.

Brandon police created the space in the station's visitor parking lot in May 2017, whichis monitored with high-quality video surveillance.

It is also well lit at night to provide extra protection to the public, Brandon police said in a release at the time.

Police in Ontario's Peel Region, as well as in other cities like Charlottetown and Vancouver, have set up similar spaces for completingonline deals.

Murray said Winnipeg police are considering creating a space like the safe-transaction zone in Brandon.

Officers in Winnipeg already see people pulling into their parking lots to conduct sales and that's welcome, althoughthe parking lots aren't being actively monitored, Murray said.

Most online sales are concluded without problems, but police expect to deal with more such robberies, he said.

"You have to have the realization that there's a risk."