WINNIPEG - Three police officers were assaulted and five people were arrested during the rowdy aftermath of a concert in downtown Winnipeg on Sunday night, a city police spokesman says.

The officers suffered minor injuries, said Winnipeg police Const. Blair Good.

Good said the mayhem unfolded as hundreds of people spilled out of MTS Centre after a concert by shock rocker Marilyn Manson about 10:45 p.m.

Alcohol influenced the rowdy concertgoers' actions, police said.

Good said police tried to stop a few people from wandering through traffic -- for their own safety -- in front of the Portage Avenue arena but the group reacted angrily and began punching and kicking the officers.

While dealing with these people, other concertgoers got involved in the fracas, resulting in more police units being called in to assist to restore order and break up the crowd without further incident, Good said.

As a precaution, police always have officers assigned to public events such as concerts and hockey games at the venue, so officers were already at the arena, Good said.

He said officers arrested five alleged troublemakers but had to arrest one of them a second time after someone let him out of a police cruiser during the melee.

Good said the male ran to get away but was caught after a short foot pursuit.

Police have charged a 24-year-old woman and two 26-year-old men with assaulting a peace officer. Both men are charged with obstructing or resisting a peace officer, while one is charged with escaping lawful custody for fleeing the police cruiser.

Two other men, aged 26 and 27, are charged with causing a disturbance and obstructing or resisting a peace officer. Both were released on a promise to appear in court.