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A man and woman are in custody after the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters was flooded Saturday evening.
At around 6 p.m., a flood forced a section of the police headquarters to shut down.
Although the incident happened after hours, a notice was issued to the community to inform them of the closure.
At first, it was believed the flooding may have been caused by a water main break or burst pipes on an upper level. However, investigators later discovered that a 51-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman had opened several emergency supply valves in the upper stairwells of the adjoining tower building at 266 Graham Avenue.
This caused a significant build up of water pressure in the pipes, eventually forcing water into the tower’s stairwells and flooding parts of the headquarters.
Crews from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service attended the scene and shut off the damaged valves. The water caused significant damage, and the extent of that damage is still being assessed.
The two suspects were identified quickly. After searching the surrounding area, officers located them in the 200 block of Graham Avenue just after 11 p.m.
They were turned over to the Major Crimes Unit and are each facing charges of mischief over $5,000 x 6. Both were released on undertakings.
Due to the damage, in-person reporting at 245 Smith Street is closed until further notice. Police say they will provide daily updates on when it will reopen. In the meantime, residents are asked to file reports online.
