(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Three Manitoba RCMP officers were attacked Monday while responding to a call of two children being abducted by their biological parents in the RM of Hanover.
The children, both under two-years-old, were the subject of a supervised visit when they were abducted at around 10:45 a.m.
Police received information that the parents were headed to the Roseau River area and headed in that direction. They located the suspects’ vehicle at a home on Road 29E in the RM of Emerson-Franklin, but were met outside by a group of eight people.
The officers were surrounded and physically attacked, but managed to arrest two of the suspects. They got out without suffering injuries and waited for additional officers to arrive, including the RCMP emergency response team attended.
With the children still inside the home, a section of Highway 59 was cordoned off as police continued to work to remove people from inside.
At around 6 p.m., RCMP made entry and the remaining suspects were safely arrested.
The parents of the children, a 23-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, both from Steinbach, are facing charges of parental abduction and resisting arrest.
Six other people face various charges, including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, assault with a weapon, and aiding and abetting parental abduction.
The suspects include a 50-year-old man and 44-year-old woman from Roseau River, and four males, aged 16, 17, 19 and 24 from the RM of Emerson-Franklin.
All eight people remain in custody.
Steinbach and Morris RCMP continue to investigate.
