Watchdog won't recommend charges in 2 separate shootings by Winnipeg police officers
Police cleared of wrongdoing in January shooting near Siloam Mission, July shooting in Osborne Village: IIU
Manitoba's police watchdog is not recommending charges against officers in two cases where people were shot by police this year, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said Tuesday.
The investigative unit found no grounds to lay charges in either case, it said in separate news releases.
The more recent incidents was on the afternoon of July 13, when officers shot and seriously hurt a man who police say was armed with a gun in the Osborne Village area,
A number of officers, including members of the tactical support unit, responded to a residence at 391 Gertrude Ave., just east of Osborne Street, where they found a man armed with a gun, the IIU's news release said.
A Taser was used in an unsuccessful attempt to disarm him. When he pointed the weapon at police, one of the officers fired their gun at him, the investigative unit said.
The man was taken to hospital in unstable condition, but later upgraded to stable condition.
The Independent Investigation Unit was officially notified of the shooting the next day. Its investigation reviewed several pieces of information, including the police investigative report, audio recordings of the 911 call and police communications, video recordings and a Taser analysis report, according to the release.
The unit also reviewed a statement from the officer who fired the weapon, along with interviewing witness officers, nine civilians and the man who was shot.
The watchdog agency found no reasonable grounds to support any charges against the officer who fired the gun, and the case has now been closed.
Because the charges against the man who was shot are still before the courts, the IIU civilian director's full report on the incident will be made available at a later date, the unit's news release said.
Man swung knife at officer before he was shot: IIU
An investigation into a January shooting by police outside Siloam Mission will also not lead to any charges against the officer, a separate news release from the IIU said.
In that case, Winnipeg police responded to a fight in a Princess Street parking lot near Siloam Mission around 11 p.m. on Jan. 28. They found a man in his 20s, who had been stabbed, and another man in his 40s, who they said stabbed the younger man, the IIU's release said.
A "use of force encounter ensued," the investigative unit says, during which the older man was shot by a police officer.
He was taken to hospital with a two gunshot wounds — one to his head and another to his hip.
The IIU's investigation, which began Jan. 31, determined the man shot by the officer was armed with a knife and was seen repeatedly stabbing the man in his 20s.
After refusing to listen to officers' directions to drop the knife, the man swung the knife at an officer and was shot, the investigative unit's news release said.
The IIU investigation included reviewing police reports, recordings, forensics, surveillance video and medical reports for the man who was shot.
Four witness officers were interviewed, but the shooting victim was unable to participate in any interviews "due to his level of competency," according to the investigative unit.
Three civilian witnesses were also interviewed, including one member of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
In this case as well, the IIU found no reasonable grounds to charge the officer who fired the weapon, and said no charges will be recommended against him.
The unit has now closed its investigation, but the civilian director's report will not be made available while other charges in the incident are before the courts.