RCMP getting 'traction' on identifying suspects at wild party north of Winnipeg

WARNING: This article contains details of an attempted sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

Police are poring through reams of video to identify partygoers who trashed an RCMP cruiser andswarmed andspat on officers just outside of Winnipeg on the weekend.

"We're still pretty early in the investigation. However, that being said, we've got some traction on it and we're in the middle of going through some of our in-car police audio and video that we know will be very helpful," said RCMP Staff Sgt. Kyle McFadyen.

"There's a tremendous amount of information coming our way and we're pretty confident that we'll get through that information and hold those responsible accountable for their actions."

Investigators also scrutinizing a number ofvideos that have been sent to them and more they have pulled off social media, plus they're looking at home security footage from neighbours in the area.

Police started getting calls around 10 p.m. Saturday about a large party that had spilled out into the yard and street at a home on Saddleridge Lane.

WATCH |Social media footage of intoxicated youth at party in East St. Paul:

Officers swarmed, assaulted by intoxicated youth at party in East St. Paul

2 years ago

Duration 0:17

RCMP say their officers faced a barrage of abuse on Oct. 29, when they arrived at a party attended by hundreds of youth in East St. Paul, a community just outside of Winnipeg, Man. When police arrived, some party-goers also jumped on two RCMP vehicles, kicking in a windshield on one and damaging the roof and hood of another.

The initial officers reported about 70 people but as it turned out, the party "was far larger than they had anticipated," McFadyensaid. The majority were age14 up to theearly 20s.

"The longer we were on scene there, it seemed that more and more people started congregating out in the street.It's largely just an estimation but certainly there were several hundred."

Officers were swarmed by the crowd, many of whom were heavily intoxicated. Some officers who are people of colour were called racial slurs while others were spit on, police said earlier this week.

Inside the house, the officers saw vandalism from spray paint andevidence of "excessive drug use." While they were inside, the crowd turned its attention to the cruisers parked on the street.

Some people climbed onto the vehicles and started stomping on them. Awindshield was shattered when someone jumped on it.Some people inthe crowd also launched fireworksat police and the cruisers, police said.

Someone at the party also sprayed bear mace in the crowd outside of the house, McFadyen said.

Jordan Jutiz, 19,said the party was widely publicized on social media platforms, primarily Snapchat, a week before it happened.

The day of the party,video clips showing large crowds insidethe house and garagewere being posted as well, he said.

Jutiz showed up a while after the party started andhad to parkseveral blocks away. He was unawaretwo police cars were already there until he and his friends finally made their way to the street.

"It was all so shocking.I've never seen anything like that," said Jutiz, who started recording videoas the mob went after the empty cruisers.

"I guess I kind of just recorded because it was chaotic."

He was only there for about 20 minutes and never went into the yard or house, he said. Shortly after the windshield was smashed, people started scattering because the officers came running from the house and more cruisers showed up.

Officers from the Winnipeg Police Service aswell as RCMP detachments in Selkirk, Oakbank and Stonewall eventually arrived to back up the first responders.

Jutiz, whoestimates there wereabout 10 police vehicles, said he never met the host and he didn't know most of the people there. He didn't know what elsewas going on, away from the street chaos.

"We weren't involved in any of that. We were just basically watching what was happening," he said.

RCMP said in a news release Monday that officers stopped an attempted sexual assault when they saw an intoxicated girl being dragged into abush by two males.Thegirl was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but the two who dragged her got awaywhen officers intervened.

"For many people this was just a house party, but for us, that was our primary focus community safety. And we do believe there's a high potential for other violent offences to have occurred," McFadyensaid.

"So we are asking for anybody who maybe hasn't yet reported to us [to come forward about] anything that might have happened that night."

Several people were arrested that night as officers tried tocontrol the scene, but McFadyendidn't have exact number.

No charges have been laid yet but "that will come as the investigation progresses," he said.

Police routinely respondto loud partiesbut "this definitely stands out as one of the worst ones we've seen," McFadyen said.

AnRCMP cruiser is now out of service because of the damage it sustained, while another requires repairs but is still usable.

"This incident did take a lot of our resources off the road for other complaints, and now we've also got some equipment that we're not able to useand that's always of concern to us, and it should be for the public,"McFadyensaid.