Traffic Stop Leads to Firearm Charges

Members of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service’s Crime Reduction and Enforcement Unit (CREU) arrested two males after finding a firearm inside a vehicle during a traffic stop in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie.

On September 15, 2026, CREU members were conducting targeted interdiction efforts between Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and Long Plain First Nation.

While conducting these efforts near the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 16 in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie, officers observed a Jeep Wrangler travelling at a speed that exceeded the posted speed limit.

The vehicle was known to be associated with individuals connected to ongoing criminal investigations.

Officers conducted a traffic stop and determined that the driver, a male youth, was operating the vehicle while suspended and without a valid driver's licence.

During the traffic stop, officers observed a firearm inside the vehicle.

A subsequent search of the Jeep resulted in the seizure of a tactical-style 12-gauge shotgun which, upon further inspection, was determined to have the serial number removed, along with several magazines and a machete. 

The 17-year-old male was arrested and charged with several firearm-related offences, including:

• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm;
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm While Knowing Possession is Unauthorized;
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle; and
• Possession of a Firearm with an Altered or Defaced Serial Number.
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The youth was released on an undertaking with a future court date.

A passenger of the vehicle, Crosby Spence-Myran, 20, was arrested and charged with several firearm-related offences, including:

• Possession of a Firearm Contrary to Order;                                        
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm;
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm While Knowing Possession is Unauthorized;
• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle;
• Possession of a Firearm with an Altered or Defaced Serial Number; and
• Failure to Comply with Release Order x2.

Spence-Myran was held in custody to appear in court in Portage la Prairie on September 16, 2026. 

The male youth also faces multiple charges under the Highway Traffic Act related to operating a motor vehicle.

Police continue to investigate the origins of the firearm.

Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Manitoba First Nations Police Service or the MFNPS TIPS line anonymously at 1-833-978-0048 or email TIPS@mfnp.ca. The MFNPS TIPS line is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year, and is monitored regularly.