The Demo Site

Police shot and killed an ex-con drug dealer/gang member/car thief in the city's West Broadway neighbourhood on Sunday morning.

Officers were called to the area just before 9 a.m. after receiving a report of a home invasion in progress in the 100-block of Langside Street.

After police arrived at the scene a confrontation ensued between officers and a man in a back lane near the intersection of Langside Street and Sara Avenue, just north of the attempted break-in, police said.

Police shot the suspect during the confrontation. He was transported to hospital in critical condition but later died.

"The details regarding that confrontation are not available at this point," said Const. Jason Michalyshen, a spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service. "Officers made contact with this male and as a result a firearm discharge took place."

Police have identified the man killed as Lance Trevor Muir, 42.
Muir had previously served a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder with a firearm and drug trafficking. His parole was revoked in March 2004 when a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest on a parole violation. Police said Muir was a wanted man on the run and had past associations with various gangs. He was considered armed and extremely dangerous.

People who live near the shooting scene said they heard the sound of a crashing car and then saw uniformed police running to the back lane area just east of Langside and Sara. A black Cadillac sedan with what appeared to be several bullet holes in it remained at the scene Sunday afternoon, where it had apparently slammed into a Hydro pole and garbage bins behind several apartment blocks.

Police offered no details as to the nature of the confrontation and did not say if the suspect was armed. They also would not say how the Cadillac was connected to the shooting. CTV news learned through Muir's roommate that he had stolen the car a few weeks before.

A large area remained sealed off to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as the police examined the scene. Officers remained on scene all day Sunday. The WPS homicide unit is investigating the incident, which is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting. The officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave and will undergo a mandatory incident debriefing. Counselling is available to them.

Police are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact homicide unit investigators at 986-6508.