The president of the Winnipeg Police Association says tragedy was averted when someone pointed a gun at an officer who was leaving work. 

Moe Sabourin says the trigger was pulled twice but the gun misfired.

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said in a release that On March 17, 2019, at approximately 2:40 a.m., an off duty officer reported being confronted by a male armed with a gun.

According to the officer, he was walking in the 100 block of Garry Street when he was approached by a male who struck up a conversation. After a brief exchange, the officer entered his personal vehicle. As the officer began to drive away, he observed the male produce a gun and point it in his direction. No shots were fired and the officer immediately left the area and called 911.

The WPS says that Officers attended and searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. The investigation continued by members of the Major Crimes Unit.

On March 18, 2019, in the early afternoon, an adult male matching the suspect's description was located in the downtown area and taken into custody. He remains in custody at this time.

Downtown safety is top of mind for many in our community, including our own police community where nearly 70% of our resources are located.

We remind the public that the Downtown BIZ offers a SafeWalk program to escort anyone in the downtown area to their car or bus stop from 8 a.m. - Midnight.

The most effective measure you can take to protect yourself against crime is to stay alert to your surroundings and trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe in a situation or place, leave immediately and notify the police.

Police say the off-duty officer was walking towards his personal vehicle on Sunday morning when the suspect pointed a gun in the officer's direction.

The officer drove away and called 9-1-1.

Sabourin noted an off-duty officer was once stabbed walking to his car, and he's reiterating the union's call for safe and secure parking for its members working downtown.