A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged after fleeing the scene with an infant in tow near Winnipegosis.

On April 18, 2024, at around 2:30 in the afternoon, the Winnipegosis RCMP received a report that a male had threatened to use a firearm on residents of a home before he fled the home with an infant. Police initially didn't know if the male had access to a firearm. The male knew the residents of the home.

A short time later, RCMP located the vehicle the man was travelling in, and officers saw him leave the vehicle and flee on foot into the bush with the infant. They could see the baby wasn't dressed for the sub-zero temperatures.

RCMP Police Dog Services was called in, and Police Service Dog Marook started to track the two. After approximately two kilometres through a wooded area, PSD Marook and his handler located the male and the infant.

The male was taken into custody. The infant appeared unharmed and was handed over to Emergency Medical Services once the officers hiked out of the bush. Emergency services confirmed that the infant was not physically injured. 

The 26-year-old man was charged with Flight From Peace Officer, Criminal Negligence Causing Bodily Harm, and two counts of Uttering Threats Against a Person.

He remains in custody.

While this is considered a win for RCMP, Tara Seel, a media relations officer says, "It's a very tense situation. The incident had reported that there was a firearm involved, so we had to treat that approach that the individual might be in possession of a firearm, so it does make it pretty stressful."

While Marook is five years into being a PSD, he has spent time in B.C. before coming to Manitoba. "He's been in Dauphin since Jan. 2023. He is well versed in locating narcotics, providing support to our emergency response team, as well as our search and rescue," Seel says. 

Marook's success doesn't come easily. "[With his handler] spend between 10-15 hours per week to keep their skills current," Seel says. When he's not busy working, Seel says that, "he enjoys long walks with his handler and his handlers family and having whipped cream on his dog food."