Winnipeg police arrest man believed to be involved in setting fires

Winnipeg police have charged a man in connection to a number of fires at the constituency offices of two Manitoba MLAs and other buildings. According to police, Jesse Wheatland, 35, faces nearly two dozen charges including arson, break and enter, and arson with Disregard for Human Life. Wheatland was arrested on Nov. 18 after a lengthy investigation, police said. Investigators believe he was involved in 22 acts of arson across the region where 11 locations were damaged including offices, restaurants, and night clubs. “We feel this is going to give the community a sense of a relief from probably what they’ve been feeling and experiencing through the summer,” said Winnipeg police Insp. Jen McKinnon. None of the charges have been proven in court. Police are connecting Wheatland to the recent fires at provincial cabinet ministers Nahanni Fontaine and Bernadette Smith’s MLA constituency offices. “The last months have been very uncertain. And in some respects, it has left us feeling a little bit scared and frightened sometimes,” said Fontaine after police made the arrest public. Smith said her office hasn’t been in use for months and employees have been working from home due to the ongoing attacks. There were at least four fires at her office since June. Wheatland appears to be a constituent of Smith’s Point Douglas neighbourhood, where he was arrested on Tuesday shortly after he allegedly set fire to an addictions treatment center near by. Damage at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in Winnipeg. Photo: Jared Delorme/APTN. Over the past year, Wheatland shared multiple posts to Facebook for the Point Douglas community. Many of them express opposition to a proposed supervised consumption site in the area, part of Smith’s portfolio as addictions minister. Police said they have insight into Wheatland’s motives but could not share them publicly because the investigation is ongoing. “We have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of work with Manitoba Justice securing judicial authorizations. There’s a lot of evidence still to obtain and work through. So I’m not going to bookend it saying that this is the end of it, but this is what we know right now,” said McKinnon WPS have confirmed to APTN News that they believe Wheatland was responsible for  Sunday’s act of vandalism at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs’ (AMC) building, where most of its main floor windows are now boarded up. Wheatland is expected to appear in court Nov. 25. Continue Reading