Winkler police officer charged with assault, uttering threats

A police officer from southern Manitoba is charged with assault and uttering threats in connection with an incident that sent a man to hospital last month.

The Winkler Police Service officer was off-duty at the time of the incident, which happened at Ditch Lake, just south of Riding Mountain National Park, on Sept. 11, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said in a news release.

RCMP officers from the Wasagaming detachment were called to a home and found an injured man who was taken to hospital in Minnedosa for treatment, according to the IIU, which did not say anything further about the severity of the injuries.

The IIU was notified about the incident on Sept. 13 and determined it was in the public interest to launch an investigation because it involved an officer.

The agency is tasked with looking into all serious incidents involving police officers in Manitoba, whether occurring on or off duty.

Satisfied there were reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence occurred, IIU civilian director Zane Tessler authorized the charges. The officer was arrested and released Oct. 13 under conditions to appear in court on Dec. 7.

Winkler Police Service Chief Ryan Hunt said the officer, who has been with the service for 3½ years, is currently on administrative leave and working in an office, not on active duty in the community.

Hunt would not comment on any of the allegations as the matter is now before the courts and the investigation is still ongoing.

The IIU said in its news release that it would not provide any addition information for the same reason.

It did, however, say there were individuals who assisted the injured man at the time, and asked them to contact the agency toll free at 1-844-667-6060.