Manitoba property owner charged after shooting at suspected thieves

A 66-year-old property owner in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, Manitoba, faces charges after a confrontation with suspected thieves. According to the RCMP, the owner was alerted by a motion-activated security camera on a Saturday night to activity on his property.

Police report that four suspects had visited the property earlier in the day and returned in the evening using two vehicles stolen from Watrous, Saskatchewan. The suspects were allegedly attempting to steal fuel from a portable container when the owner confronted them and fired shots at their vehicles.

Three suspects, aged 29, 47, and 41, were taken into custody at the scene. Charges against them include theft, mischief, trespassing, and possession of stolen property. A fourth suspect fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, which was later discovered in a nearby canola field. The property owner faces charges of careless use of a firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offence, and discharging a firearm in a reckless manner.